Being an umpire in cricket is a job of responsibility. An umpire deserves all the credit for a good decision but has to face all the brunt for a wrong decision. And if the wrong decision comes in a match of high-stakes, the umpires have to take a lot of criticism. In Test cricket, it is very harsh to expect umpires to give 100 % accurate decisions after standing for 6 hours for 5 days. There have been many brilliant umpires to have officiated in Test cricket. The Top 10 Most Test Matches as an On-Field Umpire are listed here-
1. Aleem Dar (Pakistan)
Born in Jhang (Pakistan Punjab), Aleem Sarwar Dar played domestic cricket for four teams. He played as a right-handed middle-order batter and a leg-spinner. The first Test match in Dhaka in 2002 was his first Test match as an umpire. In 2004, he became the first Pakistani umpire to be inducted into the ICC Elite Panel for Umpires. He is an active umpire and has so far officiated in 136 matches.
2. Steve Bucknor (West Indies)
Jamaican Steve Anthony Bucknor is an instantly recognizable umpire who has officiated in five consecutive ICC World Cup Finals (1992-2007). He officiated in 128 matches in a career that spanned from 1989 to 2009. He was the first umpire to officiate over 100 Test matches.
3. Rudi Koertzen (South Africa)
Rudolf Eric Koertzen was born in Knysna in Cape Province. He made his umpiring debut in an ODI in December 1992. Later in the same month, he officiated in his first Test match between South Africa and India. In his tenure as an international umpire, he was an umpire between 1992 to 2010. In 2002, he was added to the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
4. Daryl Harper (Australia)
Daryl John Harper was a South Australian official who stood as an umpire in men’s cricket and as both umpire and referee in women’s cricket. The second Ashes Test in 1998 in Perth was his first match as a Test umpire. He stood as an umpire in 95 Test matches in his span of 1998-2011.
5. David Shepherd (England)
Before becoming an umpire, David Robert Shepherd was a player for the English county team Gloucestershire. He made his umpiring debut in an ODI in 1983. His debut Test match as an umpire was the fourth Ashes Test in 1985. He was famous for lifting one foot whenever the score was 111 or its multiples. He was also known to tie a matchstick to his finger Friday the 13th (whenever the 13th day of a Gregorian month falls on Friday). He stood as an umpire in 92 Test matches in his 20-year long career.
6. Billy Bowden (New Zealand)
Auckland-born Billy Bowden was famous for his idiosyncrasies on the ground. He has a unique style of signaling 4 runs, 6 runs or giving out. He made his Test umpiring debut in 2000 and officiated in 84 before his last match in 2015. He was famous for signaling out with a crooked finger, which was a result of him suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis. He was also popular for jokingly giving a red card to Australia’s Glenn McGrath in the first-ever T20I match.
7. Darrell Hair (Australia)
Darren Hair is a former Australia umpire from New South Wales. He officiated his first Test between India and Australia in 1992 in Adelaide. He has stood as an umpire in 78 Test matches. He is famous for giving no-balls to Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in three overs in a Test match between Australia and Sri Lanka.
8. Rod Tucker (Australia)
Hailing from New South Wales, Rodney James Tucker made his Test umpiring debut in a match between Bangladesh and New Zealand in 2010 at Hamilton. In 2010, he was inducted into the ICC Elite Umpire Panel. He was one of the on-field umpires in the first semi-final of the 2015 World Cup. He has officiated in 75 Test matches and is an active umpire.
9. Ian Gould (England)
Ian Gould was England’s wicketkeeper-batter in the 1983 World Cup. He played domestic cricket for Middlesex and Sussex, followed by an overseas stint with Auckland. His debut Test match as an umpire was between South Africa and Bangladesh in Bloemfontein in 2008. He stood as an umpire in 74 Test matches before announcing his retirement after the 2019 ICC World Cup.
10. Simon Taufel (Australia)
Simon James Arnold Taufel was born in Sydney in 1971. He made his Test umpiring debut in 2000 at the age of just 29. Since then, he has officiated in 74 Test matches. He was declared the ICC Umpire of the Year for five successive years (2004-2008). He stood as a Test match umpire for the last time in 2012. He was one of the on-field umpires in the final of the 2011 ICC World Cup.