David Shepherd was undoubtedly the most appreciated and sincere umpires in the game of cricket till date. He shot to fame in the early 80’s with his elegance and accuracy on and off the field. He stood in 92 Tests, 172 ODIs, between 1983-2005, including three World Cup finals.
He has made umpiring an art with his style and smile. In schooldays while preparing to watch a cricket match, kids never bother about an umpire. But after noticing this great man it has become a habit to enquire about umpires before the start of each match.
Indian masses always wished to see Shepherd whenever there is a crucial match with Australia or particularly with Pakistan the arch rival. Indian fans always believe Shepherd can be a better judge than any Indian Umpire in curial matches. This is because the track record is that Indian Umpires rules decisions always against India and god knows for what reason.
As the saying goes; Even a Sage cannot be completely impartial; knowing the hunger of a hunter the sage still stands by the bird.
But any cricket lover can blindly say David Shepherd was always an Impartial Sage on the field
May your soul RIP Mr. David Shepherd
(image taken from net)*
