Umpire Ian Gould to retire after India’s WC clash against Sri Lanka

PTI, Jul 6, 2019, 4:26 PM IST

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Leeds: Englishman Ian Gould will bring down curtains on his umpiring career after officiating for the last time during India’s clash with Sri Lanka at the ongoing World Cup at Headingley here, the ICC said.

Gould finishes his career having umpired in 74 Tests, while the India vs Sri Lanka match here is his 140th ODI.

Gould, who has now officiated in his fourth ICC Men’s World Cup, was one of the umpires at the 2011 World Cup semi-final between India and Pakistan in Mohali.

An accomplished wicket-keeper, Gould called time on his playing career in the 1990s and then took up a coaching role with Middlesex.

As a player, he kept wickets for England at the 1983 World Cup, playing 18 ODIs in total. He has played more than 600 combined first class and List A games.

Nicknamed Gunner due to his time in the Arsenal youth set-up before settling into cricket, Gould played for Sussex, Middlesex and even had a spell in New Zealand with Auckland.

However, it is as an umpire that he perhaps became best known.

The now 61-year-old umpire had made his international debut 13 years ago in a T20 international between England and Sri Lanka in Southampton, a thriller won by the visitors by just two runs.

An ODI debut followed five days later in a match between the same two teams, and the following year he got his first taste of World Cup cricket.

He had joined the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires two years previously, umpiring the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.