Rudolf Eric Koertzen was an international cricket umpire. A cricket enthusiast since his youth, died aged 73 in a car crash.
Rudi Koertzen : age, Death, Car crash, Accident
Koertzen officiated in his first One Day International (ODI) on 9 December 1992, and in his first Test match from 26–29 December 1992.
Both matches were contested between South Africa and India at Port Elizabeth, during the first series in which television replays were used to assist with run-out decisions.
| Umpiring information | |
|---|---|
| Tests umpired | 108 (1992–2010) |
| ODIs umpired | 209 (1992–2010) |
| T20Is umpired | 14 (2007–2010) |
Koertzen soon became well-known for very slowly raising his index finger to indicate that a batsman was out.
Koertzen became a full-time ICC umpire in 1997, and was one of the original members of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires when it was founded in 2002.
He went on to officiate in a record 209 ODIs – becoming the second umpire (after David Shepherd) to stand in 150 ODIs with the match between India and Pakistan at Abu Dhabi on 19 April 2006, surpassing Shepherd’s record of 172 ODIs with the Cricket World Cup match between the West Indies and England in Barbados on 21 April 2007, and standing in his 200th ODI with the match between Ireland and Kenya at Dublin on 11 July 2009.
Rudi Koertzen age
Koertzen was born in Knysna, Cape Province, Union of South Africa, on 26 March 1949 also he played as a medium pacer for a top-level cricket club in Kimberley.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Rudolf Eric Koertzen |
| Born | 26 March 1949 Knysna, Cape Province, South Africa (now Western Cape |
| Died | 9 August 2022 (aged 73) N2 near Riversdale, Western Cape, South Africa |
| Nickname | Rudi |
| Role | Umpire |
He first worked as a railway clerk in Port Elizabeth, before being employed in the construction industry.
He started umpiring in 1981, before becoming a full-time umpire in 1992, when he was 43 years old.
Rudi Koertzen Death
Former international umpire Rudi Koertzen passed away in a car crash on Tuesday in South Africa.
Koertzen, 73, was on his way back home from Cape Town after a weekend of golf when the fatal accident happened.
Three others were also killed in the crash in the early morning hours in Riversdale.
Koertzen, who became an umpire in 1981, made his debut as an international umpire in 1992 during India’s historic tour of South Africa.
In 1997 Koertzen was appointed as a full-time ICC umpire and was one of the first members of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.
He was the TV Umpire in the 2003 and 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup finals and officiated in three Men’s ODI World Cups.
After the 2010 Test match between Australia and Pakistan, he retired from international umpiring. He stood as the on-field umpire in 331 international matches, the most after Aleem Dar, and was also the TV umpire in 66 matches. He is also one of the only three umpires to stand in more than 200 ODIs.
Car Crash
Distinguished ICC umpire Rudi Koertzen has died aged 73 in a car crash near Riversdale, a town in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
A notable figure in the game with his unique slow-motion style of adjudicating a batter out, Koertzen officiated in 127 Tests, 108 of which he stood as one of the two on-field umpires.
He is one of only three umpires to have stood in over 100 Test matches, also officiated in 250 ODIs, 19 T20Is and 1 WT20I in a career spanning 18 years.
He made his officiating debut on the international circuit during India’s tour of South Africa in 1992, incidentally the first series in which television replays were used to rule run-out decisions & became a full-time umpire with the ICC in 1997 and was elevated to the elite panel in 2002.
And served as the third umpire for the final of the 2007 World Cup in Barbados between Australia and Sri Lanka, a game marred by a farcical finish in fading light after the officials had originally asked teams to return the following day to play the remaining 18 balls of the game with Sri Lanka down to their tail-enders and needing 63 runs and was among the five officials suspended for the inaugural T20 WC later that year in his home country.
Koertzen bowed out of officiating duties in 2010, aged 61. His final assignment was the Leeds Test match between Pakistan and Australia.
Accident
Umpire Rudi Koertzen, along with three other people died in a head-on collision near Riversdale on Tuesday, a news report revealed.
The 73-year-old was on his way back home from Cape Town after a golf weekend when the tragic incident took place. His son, Rudi Koertzen Jr said, “He went on a golf tournament with some of his friend, and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf.”
He stood in a record 209 ODIs and is one of just three umpires to officiate in over 100 Tests. Koertzen officiated in a record 209 ODIs, surpassing iconic umpire David Shepherd’s record of 172 ODIs after the Cricket World Cup match between the West Indies and England in 2007.
He also became the second umpire, after Steve Bucknor, to officiate in 100 Test matches, finishing with 108 Tests to his name.
He officiated his final ODI on June 9 2010 between Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka at Harare and his final Test match from July 21-24 between Pakistan and Australia at Leeds.