London, Oct 28 (BBC): Legendary England umpire David Shepherd died after a long battle with cancer Wednesday. He was 68.
Shepherd, an international umpire, officiated in 172 ODIs, three consecutive World Cup finals and 92 Test matches from 1983 to 2005. He made his international debut in the 1983 World Cup.
Only Steve Bucknor and Rudi Koertzen have stood in more Tests than Shepherd.
Shepherd was a first-class cricketer and during his 14-year-long career played 282 first class matches for Gloucestershire.
His umpiring career started in 1981 from first-class matches. His last Test appearance was in June 2005 between the West Indies and Pakistan in Kingston and his final appearance was in an ODI at The Oval in 2005.
The good-humoured Englishman was known for his superstitions - most notably his little hop when scores reached 111 or a multiple thereof. He was a favourite with the players and was respected world over.
International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan expressed grief over the death of one of the greatest umpires of all time.
"David was a true gentleman of the game," said Morgan. "He was a fine player and a match official of the very highest quality. He will be remembered fondly by players, spectators and administrators who saw him as a great entertainer but also as one of the best umpires the game has ever seen," he said.
"The example he set as someone who took the art of umpiring very seriously while also enjoying what he did immensely will leave a lasting legacy for the game. He was an engaging character which meant players and other umpires were always delighted to be around him. We have lost someone whose positive influence on our great sport has been immense."
Dickie Bird, who umpired many matches alongside Shepherd, said his former colleague would be missed.
"I feel very saddened this has happened," he told Sky Sports.
"He was a fine umpire, we spent many happy hours together. He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he'll be sadly missed and he was a great friend."