Former elite panel umpire Rudi Koertzen on Tuesday revealed that India`s middle-order batsman Rahul Dravid is one player who is extremely close to his heart.
|Last Updated: Nov 15, 2011, 10:15 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Durban: Former elite panel umpire Rudi Koertzen on Tuesday revealed that India`s middle-order batsman Rahul Dravid is one player who is extremely close to his heart.
Stating that he is too fond of the former India skipper, Koertzen said, "Dravid is so close to my heart. I just admire that boy. I love the passion in him. He is called the `The Wall` back home."
The 62-year-old from South Africa, who retired from umpiring last year, said that he misses the trips to India and see Sachin Tendulkar play in front of his home crowd.
"It is amazing to see Sachin play, especially in India. Sometimes you would not find too many spectators watching a match in the stadium, and then a wicket fall and he would walk into the field and suddenly you would see a whole lot of people walk into the stadium out of nowhere," he observed.
"People are so passionate about cricket in India and the crowd is so good that I really miss going to India after my retirement," he added.
He also admitted that other than Dravid and Tendulkar, he has been a great admirer of Virender Sehwag.
Insisting that it pains him when Sehwag gets out playing a silly shot, Koertzen said that he warned him all the time not to get out to a bad shot.
"I always told him, whenever I used to officiate in a match in which he was also playing that `if you get out to a bad shot, I will give you a hiding outside the stadium`," Koertzen, who officiated in the World Cricket Legends match between India and South Africa on Tuesday, said.
Meanwhile, coming out in the support of the Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS), he said the technology is good.
"While the on-field umpires get only a split second to decide, the replays help in making more appropriate decisions, which is good. If the correct decision is being made, it is always good. So what is the harm in using the UDRS?" he asked.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.