Know Your Match Officials: Richard Illingworth

Former England left-arm spinner Richard Illingworth had snared a wicket with his first delivery in Test cricket but his entry into international umpiring was more sedate.

His first match was an ODI between Canada and Afghanistan in Sharjah in 2010, while the next one between England and Bangladesh in Bristol was a challenging one in windy conditions and with his own admission he was hoping there would not be too many fine nicks since they would not be easy to detect.

Illingworth played nine Tests and 25 ODIs for England during the 1990s and his accurate bowling helped him play both Tests and ODIs for England.

Initiated into umpiring by experienced official Peter Willey at the time, Illingworth remembers the conversation very clearly.

“I was still playing at the time and I was on the steps of the pavilion at the Park’s ground and I sat there having a chat with Peter Willey, who was umpiring in a first-class match and also has been a Test match umpire, and he reckoned I could be quite a decent umpire, says Illingworth, who has officiated in more than 100 international matches.

“I asked him why he thought so and he said the reason was because I could count to six and had a very thick skin. That’s how I started thinking about umpiring.”

An avid golfer and one who enjoys watching other sports, he keeps an eye on how officials in other sports handle the tense moments.

As for his own preparation for matches, he makes it a point to check the team sheets to gauge what swing or spin to expect from which bowlers and also understand how the DRS has gone in the previous games at the venue.

The first-ball wicket is still remembered with fondness. “It was quite a numb feeling really because I just ran up to bowl, wanted to get the ball in the right area. Unfortunately for Phil Simmons but fortunately for me, it managed to scrape between bat and pad and trickled on to the stumps. Although it was not a great delivery, it is one delivery I will cherish for a long, long time,” says the 54-year-old.

A member of the team that made the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 1992, Illingworth indicates that the eventual loss to Pakistan was rather forgettable.

“Playing the final was a momentous occasion – memories that you take to your grave. The actual final, I don’t have too many memories of,” he adds.