Umpire Rudy Koertzen dies at 73 in a car accident

Aug. 9: In a tragic incident, former South African umpire Rudy Koertzen has died at the age of 73. Koertzen, who was part of the ICC’s elite panel, met with a car accident while on his way from Cape Town, South Africa, in which he died.

Kerzen was a member of the ICC’s elite jury for eight years from 2002. Participated in 331 international matches was the record when he retired in 2010. Koertzen’s first international series was India’s tour of South Africa in 1992–93. His first game was the second ODI at Gakbarha. He had become one of the most respected umpires in the world. He has been praised globally for his honesty. He had refused to accept a bribe to manipulate a match between West Indies and India in Singapore in September 1999.

After retiring from international refereeing in 2010, Kerzen published a book. Slow Death: Memoirs of a Cricket Referee (with Chris Schaman), where he addressed the 2007 World Cup final. At the time of his death, he was still refereeing several matches for his hometown Dispatch and helping prepare pitches for the local club, Dispatch Cricket Club.