Billy Bowden Wiki, Height, Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Billy Bowden is a New Zealand cricket umpire known for his use of a dramatic signaling style, including the famous “finger of sacrifice” exit signal in the matches he officiated.

Wiki/Biography

Brent Fraser Bowden was born on Thursday, April 11, 1963 (age 60; as of 2023) in Henderson, New Zealand. His zodiac sign is Aries. When he was a child, he and his elder brother used to play cricket in the yard. When he was a middle-order batsman and spinner, he served as the captain of his high school cricket team for three years. After graduating in 1982, he played four seasons of summer cricket for Manchester, breaking the league record for the second season.

Physical appearance

Height (approx): 5′ 9″

Hair color: salt and pepper

Eye Color: Black

family

parents and siblings

Father’s name is Marcus Bowden, who is a church minister. He has an older brother.

wife and children

On May 27, 2006, he married Jenny Bowden, who is a nutritionist. He has a son, Fraser, and a daughter, Brooke, from his first wife. He has two more children with his wife Jenny.

Career

Cricket

He started his cricketing journey representing Westlake Boys and later joined Takapuna Cricket Club. His dream was to wear the black cap and represent his country, but his dream was shattered when he was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 19. He made his ODI debut on 29 March 1995 against Sri Lanka at Hamilton. He made his Test debut on 11 March 2000 against Australia in Auckland. On 17 February 2005, he made his T20 debut against Australia in Auckland.

Crooked Finger of Sacrifice

He began his refereeing career around 1989, but due to rheumatoid arthritis, he had difficulty straightening his hands, which caused swelling in his fingers. As a result, he developed a unique way of releasing players using a tilted finger gesture. This earned him the nickname “Crooked Finger of Doom”. The conventional method of signaling a batsman’s exit by using a straight index finger raised above his head was too painful for him. To prevent his condition, he would soak his fingers in hot water before each game, but the effect wears off over time. Apart from his distinctive gesture, he also introduced other unique signals. For example, he would use an arm wave to indicate four and make a jumping motion with double crooked fingers to indicate six. His signaling style varied according to the format of the game, with a more standard approach in Test matches, more flashy gestures in ODIs and excited Twenty20 matches. Although his act attracted a significant number of fans, there were also critics. Martin Crowe called him “Bozo the Clown” and one critic argued that the matches were for the fans and players, not the referee. However, many people came to his defense, admitting that his unconventional style was a result of his arthritis and his need to stay hydrated. Despite his attention-grabbing gestures, he is known for his precise decision-making ability as a referee.

referee

In his umpiring career, he has officiated in over 259 ODIs, 104 Tests and 32 T20Is and has also been a part of many first-class matches and cricket tournaments. In March 2000, he was given the opportunity to serve as the on-field umpire for his first Test match. In 2002, he was elected as a member of the Emirates Panel of International Referees. He also achieved the distinction of becoming the youngest umpire to officiate 100 One Day Internationals (ODIs) in the same year. In 2003, he was given the opportunity to play in the Cricket World Cup in South Africa and was specially selected as the fourth umpire for the final match between Australia and India. This experience led to his promotion to the prestigious Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, where he was a member from 2003 to 2013. In 2007, he was given the role of fourth umpire in the final of the Cricket World Cup. In 2013, he was named as one of five umpires selected to officiate in the Ashes series. In 2014, the International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed him as the umpire and match referee for the 2014 ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers held in New Zealand for the warm-up and first round matches. He was selected as one of the twenty umpires to officiate the matches at the 2015 Cricket World Cup. On 6 February 2016, he played in his 200th one-day international between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington. Until 2016, he was a member of the International Panel of Referees and Referees. However, he was later demoted to the New Zealand national panel. On 24 December 2020, he umpired in the Dream 11 domestic T20 competition that opened the double-header between Wellington Firebirds and Auckland Aces for both the men’s and women’s teams. In January 2023, she was the umpire in the Super Smash T20 women’s competition. In 2023, he was the umpire in a T20 Black Clash game between top-class cricketers and rugby players in Christchurch.

Facts/Trivia

• He follows a non-vegetarian diet.

• He is known by the nicknames Billy, Captain Hook and Mr. Slow Death.

• When she was diagnosed with arthritis, she said in an interview it was a condition that affects one in six New Zealanders, with more than 700,000 diagnosed. Arthritis affected his hands, elbows, fingers and feet and, unfortunately, there was no cure. Living in this state was incredibly difficult because it felt like walking on broken glass. However, through a careful diet, exercise regimen, and medication, she managed to fight the disease for 40 years.

• In an interview, he revealed that he grew up in a Christian family and that his father served in the ministry for 65 years. He noted that his strong religious background helped him cope with the disease.

• In one match, Indian cricketer Suresh Raina copied Bowden’s finger gesture and raised his finger in unison with him.

• He appeared in commercials. He often posed with his famous “Finger of Doom” on many posters.

• There were thousands of fans who stood with him as he used the iconic “shatter” arm wave to signal four.

• In 2005, he made a unique gesture by red carding Australian bowler Glenn McGrath, even though red cards are not used in cricket. Australian cricketers found his showmanship laughable, but in a 2007 poll, Australian cricketers named Bowden as the worst Test umpire. Additionally, former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe was not impressed with Bowden’s umpiring style.

• During the 2006 Brisbane Ashes Test match, Bowden was standing at square leg when he was accidentally hit on the ground by a ball bowled by Geraint Jones.

• During the 5th Test of the 2006–07 Ashes series, Bowden intervened to stop a verbal exchange between Paul Collingwood and Shane Warne while Warne was batting and Collingwood was in the slips. Bowden runs from square leg to keep his composure. It was noted that Bowden was going through a difficult phase during this period and his decision making was not as accurate as usual. In an interview, Warne spoke about Billie and said:

  Billy Bowden is inconsistent from what we saw at Headingley. I think Billy can be very good, but sometimes he gets a little carried away.”

• In 2007, he became the eighth umpire to officiate 100 one-day internationals.

• In 2010, during the one-day international match between Australia and West Indies in Adelaide, he made a unique umpiring move. After Mitchell Johnson took the wicket, he moved across the stumps to allow the batsmen to cross and then returned to his original position to raise his signature bent toe to get out.

• In 2012, during the seventh ODI at The Gabba, Brisbane, there was an incident involving MS Dhoni and the on-field umpires. Michael Hussey was bowled and Dhoni bailed, so the third umpire, Bruce Oxenford, signaled ‘out’. However, umpire Billy Bowden called Hussey back. The decision angered Dhoni, who expressed his frustration with the umpires.

• In 2016, he was dropped from New Zealand’s international cricket panel. Earlier, he had already faced a similar situation when he was dropped from the elite panel of the International Cricket Council in 2013. He returned to the panel in 2014 but was dropped once again in May 2015 after umpiring the Test match between the West Indies and England in Barbados. tons in February 2016.

• In February 2016, he was part of the ODI match between Australia and New Zealand. During the second innings of the game, he devoted significant time to supporting charities that aim to raise funds for people suffering from arthritis. In his interviews, Bowden expressed gratitude that despite battling arthritis, he was still able to walk and communicate like most people.

• In an interview, one of the critics commented about him and said:

  Referees have their own characters and their own personalities. We are not clones. We are not paper cutouts. It would be a boring place if we were all exactly the same. No additives when you see me, no preservatives. freshly squeezed. What you see is what you get.”

• In a statement, the Australian media said they never liked him and questioned his gestures, saying:

  Perhaps he should consider speaking later or during a short break rather than interrupting the flow.’

• He’s a total but prefers to drink a South African drink called Amarula.

Categories: Cricket
Source: dienchau2.edu.vn