London: David Shepherd, the former England umpire, has died after a long battle with cancer. He was 68.
Shepherd was a renowned international umpire and officiated in 172 ODIs, including three consecutive World Cup finals, and 92 Tests between 1983 and 2005.
He was appointed as a first-class umpire in 1981 and the speed of his elevation to the international stage was evidence of his ability and the regard in which he was held His last Test was match between West Indies and Pakistan in Kingston in June 2005 and his final appearance in an ODI was at The Oval in 2005.