The world's youngest international umpire, from a cricket family of some renown in Barbados, is looking to make his mark on the Elite Panel
On August 26, the day before the first game in the two-match T20 series between West Indies and India in Florida, Leslie Reifer went to the teams' training session. As he stood in the India nets, offspinner R Ashwin walked up and asked if he played for West Indies. MS Dhoni too wondered what a West Indies player was doing at an India training session. "He wasn't aware that I was actually going to be standing in the game. I kind of do get that a lot," Reifer says over the phone from Montreal.
Somewhat understandable, given that when Reifer stepped onto the ground in Lauderhill, Florida, in the second match, he was a week short of 27, probably the youngest international umpire in modern cricket. The ICC does not have official records, but Simon Taufel, who was regarded as one of the youngest previously, made his international debut at 28.
"I have always wanted be around international cricket," Reifer says. "I used to play the game and I really wanted to end up an international cricketer, but I wasn't able to do that. So to be able to walk out as an international umpire was a tremendous honour - to be able to have reached so far at such a young age."
Late this July, Reifer was packing his bags to join the rest of his family in Orlando, Florida for a holiday when he received a call from WICB operations manager Roland Holder, who told him he would be one of the match officials for the T20 series in Florida. "Luckily, mum and dad did not have to travel too far and instead only had to take a bus between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale," Reifer says.
Rest of article at source...
Source: ESPNCricInfo
Link: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/1059773.html
On August 26, the day before the first game in the two-match T20 series between West Indies and India in Florida, Leslie Reifer went to the teams' training session. As he stood in the India nets, offspinner R Ashwin walked up and asked if he played for West Indies. MS Dhoni too wondered what a West Indies player was doing at an India training session. "He wasn't aware that I was actually going to be standing in the game. I kind of do get that a lot," Reifer says over the phone from Montreal.
Somewhat understandable, given that when Reifer stepped onto the ground in Lauderhill, Florida, in the second match, he was a week short of 27, probably the youngest international umpire in modern cricket. The ICC does not have official records, but Simon Taufel, who was regarded as one of the youngest previously, made his international debut at 28.
"I have always wanted be around international cricket," Reifer says. "I used to play the game and I really wanted to end up an international cricketer, but I wasn't able to do that. So to be able to walk out as an international umpire was a tremendous honour - to be able to have reached so far at such a young age."
Late this July, Reifer was packing his bags to join the rest of his family in Orlando, Florida for a holiday when he received a call from WICB operations manager Roland Holder, who told him he would be one of the match officials for the T20 series in Florida. "Luckily, mum and dad did not have to travel too far and instead only had to take a bus between Orlando and Fort Lauderdale," Reifer says.
Rest of article at source...
Source: ESPNCricInfo
Link: http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/1059773.html
