Guy Williams speaks to the great Harold Bird about his career as the game’s finest umpire…
Harold ‘Dickie’ Bird, 84 not out on Wednesday of this week, remains the game’s favourite umpire even though he stood in his last Test, England versus India at Lord’s, just over 20 years ago. The career of this remarkable character and lovable personality – 66 Tests, 69 ODIs, which include three World Cup finals in 1975, 1979 and 1983 – has been revived by an outstanding exhibition of Dickie’s memorabilia on display at the Town Hall museum in Barnsley.
His personal collection – among other items – the OBE, MBE, Dickie’s famous white cap and umpire’s coat, medallions, photos and tributes from Prince Charles, Sir John Major and great Test cricketers – has proved to be so popular that it has attracted more than 12,000 visitors already, and it will be on show for several weeks yet.
Museum staff describe its success as staggering, and as Dickie says: “It took some shifting from my home and what’s on show here isn’t my complete collection. When I’m gone, some of it will go to Headingley.”
The priceless mementos remind cricket lovers of an era which belongs to the history books, but the sport’s revolution since Bird’s retirement – most of all the T20 explosion – is welcomed by Dickie.
“I think we’ve got to go with the times and live with the times,” he says. “The T20 game and 50-over game put bums on seats. They bring the crowds in.You go to a county game and you’re not getting the gates. When we’ve got T20 games at Headingley, we fill it. The new 20-over competition will come in because the counties need the money. I recently spoke at a school and I asked hundreds of kids and their parents the same question.
“What do you prefer to watch? T20 or county cricket? Everyone put their hand up and said T20. Not one chose Championship cricket. Then I asked the parents and they all said T20. Not one voted for county cricket. And I’ll tell you something else; I’m afraid the time is coming when we shall have only one Test series and that will be England versus Australia. It probably won’t come in my time, but there won’t be any more Test matches.
“I watched a Test on television this winter between New Zealand and South Africa, both good teams. There was hardly a soul in the ground watching, and as much as we think a lot of Test matches and county games, I’m afraid the game as we know it will die, so T20 matches and 50-overs games are needed for financial reasons, and they’ll bring people in.”
As Dickie wanders from one part of his collection to another, fond memories come rushing back.
“My favourite is having lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace and then at Windsor, just myself and the Queen. She also invited me to umpire a charity game at Windsor to raise money for injured jockeys. The Queen loves cricket.
“I received my MBE in 1986 on a Wednesday, just before the Test starting on Thursday, and as the Queen handed over the honour she whispered: ‘Dickie, I’m coming to Lord’s for the Test tomorrow and don’t bring the players off for bad light.’ I didn’t have to because it was a beautiful day.
“My favourite Test that stands out was in Karachi where Pakistan were playing Australia in October 1994. Then, Australia had two great spinners in Shane Warne, leg-spin and googlies, and Tim May, the off-spinner. The ball was kicking off a length and towards the end I saw the finest Test innings I’ve seen in my life on a pitch that was turning square.
“It was by Inzaman-ul-Haq, who got 58 not out. Pakistan needed 50 odd to win and the last man Mushtaq Ahmed came in. He was a fine leg-spinner, but ‘Mushy’ couldn’t hold a bat. The Aussies told me it wouldn’t be long till it was all over.
“Somehow Mushy kept Warne out and Inzaman took singles at the end of each over, and eventually Pakistan got the runs and won by one wicket.”
As a first-class umpire for almost 30 years, Bird was positioned perfectly to judge cricketers and, without question, says Sir Garry Sobers was the greatest all-rounder in history.
“Garry was three cricketers rolled into one – a magnificent batsman, a brilliant fielder and one of the best new ball bowlers I’ve seen. He also bowled slow left-arm orthodox and wrist spin.
“The two best batsmen who stood out were Sir Vivian Richards and Barry Richards from South Africa. They are the finest from my era. I can’t part them, and the best quick bowler? I’d go for Dennis Lillee.The West Indies had Malcolm Marshall, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Michael Holding, but Lillee had something very, very special. He was quick, had a beautiful action and swung the ball at pace, late away from the batsman – and when you do that you’ll get the greatest players out.”
This piece originally featured in The Cricket Paper, April 21 2017
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