Harold “Dickie” Bird, an iconic umpire who was adored and respected in equal measure, has died at the age of 92.
Bird officiated in 66 Tests and 69 ODIs, including three World Cup finals, in a career that spanned from 1973 to 1996. The 1996 Lord’s Test between England and India was Bird’s last in the International arena.
It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Bird, with his eccentricities and an uncanny knack
for being in the midst of unusual situations, was a superstar among cricket umpires. Perhaps, the greatest in terms of popularity.
Bird was born in Barnsley and played club cricket with Geoffrey Boycott. He began his career as a player as a top-order batter for Yorkshire in 1956 and later served as the club’s president. Later, he also played for Leicestershire. A right-handed batter, he scored two centuries and averaged 20.71 in 93 first-class matches.
“Players all over the world respected and admired him for his firmness, fairness, and he did it with a sense of humour. He was loved by so many and became a legend,” Boycott said in his tribute to Bird.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who famously got a haircut from Bird during the 1974 Old Trafford Test against England as it was getting into his eyes, said: “The players loved him because he was always ready to chat between overs and sometimes between deliveries too. Cricket has lost a unique character and a superb umpire. May his soul rest in peace,” Gavaskar said.
Known for his reluctance to raise his finger for LBW decisions, Bird’s idiosyncrasies made him a very likeable character, both for players and spectators.
His habit of being overcautious with his timekeeping for matches was well known. In his early days as an umpire, Bird arrived at The Oval at 6am for a Surrey-Yorkshire match, which was scheduled to begin at 11am. He was caught by a policeman as he was attempting to scale the wall of the still-locked venue.
Recalling his memories with Bird, former England captain Graham Gooch said: “...Things always happened to Dickie in the field. At Headingley once, they had a leaking pipe, right where Dickie was standing. Coming up like a sprinkler. It could only happen to him.”
But all such moments never diminished his stature as an umpire, rather they added to his legacy. “Everyone respected him immensely for what he was on the field, and he was the most likeable man off it,” David Gower told the BBC.
Bird, who remained unmarried, was honoured with a bronze statue on Barnsley’s Church Lane. He was appointed an MBE in 1986 and an OBE in 2012 in recognition of
his outstanding contribution to cricket.
In a statement, Yorkshire confirmed that he had died peacefully at home. “He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy — and a legion of admirers across generations,” Yorkshire said.
With the job of umpiring in cricket losing much of its essence to technical advancements, characters like Bird are perhaps an extinct species in the game. He was born for cricket. They don’t make like him anymore.