South Africa will play the England Lions in a warm-up game while sporting black armbands in memory of the famous umpire Rudi Koertzen, who tragically passed away at the age of 73.
Koertzen was reportedly one of four persons died in a car accident close to Riversdale, according to reports from South Africa. He had spent the weekend playing golf with several pals and was flying home from Cape Town.
“He went on a golf tournament with some of his friends, and they were meant to return back on Monday, but it seems they opted to play another round of golf,” Rudi Koertzen Jr. told South Africa’s Algoa FM News.
And Cricket South Africa, which notified journalists present at Canterbury for their tour game against the Lions that Koertzen’s passing was the reason the players would be donning black armbands, corroborated the information.
On social media, the illustrious Indian opener Virender Sehwag paid respect, writing: “Vale Rudi Koertzen! Shanti Om. We send our sympathies to his family and friends. a wonderful relationship with him. He would chastise me and say, “Play intelligently, I want to see your batting,” if I made a hasty shot.
“Once, he asked me for advice on a specific brand of cricket pads to purchase for his son. He was really appreciative of the gift I gave him. a gentleman and an amazing individual. Rudi, I’ll miss you. Om Shanti
Fellow umpire Aleem Dar said: “It is a very big loss foremost for his family and then for South Africa and cricket. I stood in so many games with him. He was not only very good as an umpire but also an excellent colleague, always very cooperative on field and also always willing to help off the field. Because of the way he was, he was also well-respected by players.”
Marais Erasmus, a South African umpire, said: “Rudi had such a strong character, both physically and emotionally. He made it possible for South African umpires to compete on a global scale. made all of us think it’s doable. an actual legend. He taught me a lot as a young umpire.
Koertzen continued to officiate games in his native Despatch up until the time of his passing. Despatch Cricket Club said, “A legend in his own right passed away this morning and will undoubtedly leave a tremendous loss in the cricket world. “We want to send Uncle Rudi Koertzen’s family and loved ones our deepest condolences and empathy.”
As a standing referee for 331 international games, Koertzen earned a reputation for raising his finger slowly when ejecting players. He explained: “When I started to umpire, I used to stand with my hands in front of me in an interview with ESPNcricinfo in 2010.”
“One day when I was refereeing a TV game, I recall my wife telling me to take my hands off my front and place them behind my back as she watched the game. I started doing that, but I kept moving my hands around – it was in my pocket, then it was on my side – so I made the decision to grab hold of my left wrist with my right hand and keep it there so I couldn’t move it.
“It simply came easy to me to count one, two, three, consider where the ball was going, have a slow release, and begin raising it because I would hang on to it. I don’t believe that was done on purpose; it just stuck with me.
“One day at the Wanderers, I offered Daryll Cullinan some literature, and he gave me the moniker Slow Death. Why do you make me wait and endure pain for that slow-death decision, he demanded? It simply stuck with me. One day, I had to chuckle at one of the producers. They requested that it be sped up a bit because it was difficult to include it in the extremely slow-motion replays.”
