Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq praised Steve Bucknor yesterday after cricket’s most experienced international umpire stood in his 128th and last Test — South Africa’s win over Australia in Cape Town.
“It was an absolute privilege to play in matches he umpired,” Inzamam said. “I always respected his decision-making, man-management skills and above all, his humble and friendly attitude.”
Bucknor is the most experienced umpire to date in Test cricket, with 29 more Test matches than South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen.
PHOTO: EPA
Bucknor lingered briefly in the middle of the ground to pray and then embarked on a lap of the ground at the end of the game on Sunday.
Administrators, colleagues and former players all paid tribute to Bucknor.
Former West Indies captain and coach Clive Lloyd described him as honest and dedicated.
“Things that come to mind about him are his honesty and hard-working attitude,” he said.
“We all have to go at some time and now it is Steve’s time but I hope he continues to work within cricket. It will be a loss to the game if he doesn’t continue in some capacity with cricket and I hope that the West Indies Cricket Board will look to use his knowledge and experience when it comes to training and coaching new umpires,” he said.
BOUNCING BACK: Antetokounmpo had just returned from an eight-game injury absence last month, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their third win in four games Giannis Antetokounmpo threw down the game-winning dunk with 4.7 seconds remaining to lift the Milwaukee Bucks to a 122-121 victory over the Charlotte Hornets and grab a slice of NBA history on Friday. The Bucks trailed by as many as 16 on their home floor, but Antetokounmpo scored 12 of his 30 points in the final quarter to help seal the win in a frantic finish that saw five lead changes in the final 45.7 seconds. The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) added 10 rebounds and five assists. It was his 158th regular-season game with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and
For the first time in almost 36 years, a Parisian derby will be played in French soccer’s top flight when reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain FC take on the nouveau riche Paris Football Club (PFC) today. Not one of the players involved in today’s match — PFC’s 38-year-old third-choice goalkeeper Remy Riou is almost certainly not going to be involved — was born the last time there was a Parisian derby in Ligue 1. That was on Feb. 25, 1990, when Moroccan midfielder Aziz Bouderbala scored a brace as Racing Paris 1 beat PSG 2-1 at the Parc des Princes home that
Stan Wawrinka’s 40-year-old legs did not let him down over three-plus hours in his first singles match of a farewell tour yesterday. Three-time Grand Slam singles champion Wawrinka beat Arthur Rinderknech of France, who is ranked 29th to Wawrinka’s 157th, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5). The match went 3 hours, 16 minutes. Wawrinka last month announced that this year would be his last on the ATP tour. “Today was a tough battle ... it’s amazing to come here for the first time, to have so much support,” Wawrinka said yesterday. “Twenty years on tour, you kind of always play in the same place
Manchester City have confirmed defender Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Gvardiol was one of two City centerbacks who went off injured in the second half, along with Ruben Dias, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time equalizer for the visitors. The draw left second-placed City six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal. City, announcing Gvardiol sustained a tibial fracture to his right leg, added in a statement issued on Monday: “The defender will have surgery later this week and assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the