A supreme umpire is all set to make his final bow. Simon Taufel will step down from the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires after the conclusion of the ICC World Twenty20 here on October 7.
In a press release, issued on Wednesday, the ICC declared that Taufel will be assigned the new role of being an ‘umpire performance and training manager’ with cricket’s premier body.
The 41-year-old made his international umpiring debut in an ODI between Australia and Sri Lanka at Sydney, during January 1999. The Australian umpired in 74 Tests and 174 ODIs. In a glittering career illuminated by a high level of accuracy, Taufel won the ICC Umpire of the Year award for five consecutive years from 2004.
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Throwing light on his decision, Taufel said: “I am moving on from active international umpiring for personal and professional reasons. My wife and children have supported me immensely throughout my career and it is time for me to spend more time with them. My passion for cricket umpiring and personal professional development has shifted from on the field to off the field. In my new position as ICC umpire performance and training manager, I look forward to help create professional programmes and resources to support the current and future generations of cricket match officials.”
ICC’s chief executive David Richardson lauded Taufel and said: “He has been a role model for umpires globally who look to him for inspiration and guidance. I am delighted that he will be working with us to groom and develop the next generation of elite umpires.”