Dickie Bird asks Bucknor to retire

Legendary umpire Dickie Bird on Tuesday advised Steve Bucknor to call it a day, saying the West Indian had "gone on too long."

Bucknor, 61, was replaced for the upcoming Perth Test between India and Australia after a series of mistakes in the previous Test in Sydney, which the visitors lost by 122 runs.

"When you get to that age... I have said to Steve, 'Don't go on too long, get out while you are still respected. I think he has gone on too long," Bird, a veteran of 66 Tests who retired in 1996, said.

"If they (India) feel that an umpire is not up to I think they have the right to say so. That is my view of it," Bird told Sky Sport News.

"But I do believe if umpires are appointed to a Test match they should see it through. That has not happened in this instance."

Apart from the umpiring, the Test saw several unsavoury incidents between the teams and ended with Harbhajan Singh found guilty of racially abuse by ICC Match Referee Mike Procter.

India captain Anil Kumble also accused the Australians of lacking sportsmanship.

Bird believes the umpires, Bucknor and Mark Benson, could have done more to defuse the tension in Sydney.

"I think the umpires should have got the captains together on the field in front of everyone and said, 'Let's get on with this game and play it in the correct spirit and finish the Test without any problems'."

News Source : Samachar