Billy Bowden was a New Zealand cricket umpire known for his dramatic signaling style, which included his famous “curved finger of doom” gesture during the games he umpired.
Wiki/Biography
Brent Fraser Bowden was born on Thursday, April 11, 1963 in Henderson, New Zealand (age 60 in 2023). His zodiac sign is Aries. When he was a child, he and his brother used to play cricket in the backyard. He captained the high school cricket team for three years when he was a middle-order batsman and off-spinner. After graduating from school in 1982, he played four seasons of summer cricket in Manchester, breaking the league’s batting record in his second season.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
His father’s name was Marcus Bowden and he was a church minister. He has an older brother.
wife and children
On May 27, 2006, he married nutritionist Jenny Bowden.
billy bowden’s wife
He has a son, Fraser, and a daughter, Brooke, with his first wife. His wife Jenny has two other children.
Profession
cricket
He started his cricket journey representing Westlake Boys and later joined Takapuna Cricket Club. His dream of wearing a black hat and representing his country was dashed when he was diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 19. He made his ODI debut on 29 March 1995 against Sri Lanka in Hamilton. He made his Test debut on 11 March 2000 against Australia in Auckland. He made his T20 debut against Australia in Auckland on 17 February 2005.
the crooked finger of doom
He began his refereeing career around 1989, but suffered from rheumatoid arthritis, which made it difficult for him to straighten his hands, causing his fingers to swell. As a result, he developed a unique way of knocking players out using a curled-finger gesture. This earned him the nickname “The Crooked Finger of Doom.” The traditional method of signaling a batter out by raising his straight index finger above his head was too painful for him. To avoid this, he would dip his fingers in hot water before each game, but the effects would wear off over time. In addition to his unique hand gestures, he also introduced other unique signals. For example, he would use a sweeping motion to represent “four,” and a jumping motion with double-curved fingers to represent “six.” His signaling style varies depending on the format of the game, using a more standard approach in Test matches, flashier gestures in ODIs and more excited gestures in Twenty20 matches. While his actions attracted legions of fans, he also had his critics. Martin Crowe called him “Bozo the Clown” and one critic believed the game was for the fans and players, not the referees. However, many defended him, admitting that his unconventional style was the result of arthritis and the need to maintain fluids. Although his hand gestures are eye-catching, he is known for his accurate decision-making as a referee.
referee
During his umpiring career, he officiated over 259 ODIs, 104 Tests and 32 T20Is and also participated in many first-class matches and cricket tournaments. In March 2000, he had the opportunity to serve as an on-field umpire in the first Test match.
Billy Bowden umpiring in his first Test match
In 2002, he was selected as a member of the UAE International Referees Panel. In the same year, he also became the youngest referee to officiate 100 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). In 2003, he was given the opportunity to umpire at the Cricket World Cup in South Africa and was specially selected as the fourth umpire for the final between Australia and India. This experience led to his promotion to the prestigious ICC Referees Elite Panel, where he served from 2003 to 2013.
Billy Bowden shakes hands with Indian players during the 2003 Cricket World Cup
In 2007, he served as the fourth umpire in the Cricket World Cup final. In 2013, he was appointed as one of the five umpires for the Ashes Cup series. In 2014, the International Cricket Council (ICC) appointed him as umpire and match referee for the warm-up and first-round matches of the 2014 ICC Cricket World Cup qualifiers in New Zealand. He was selected as one of the 20 umpires to officiate matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup. On 6 February 2016, he officiated his 200th one-day international match between New Zealand and Australia in Wellington. Until 2016, he was a member of the international panel of referees. However, he was later demoted to the New Zealand National Council. On 24 December 2020, he officiated the men’s and women’s doubles matches in the first Dream 11 domestic T20 competition between Wellington Firebirds and Auckland Aces. In January 2023, she served as a referee for the Super Smash T20 women’s match. In 2023, he refereed a T20 Black Clash match between top cricketers and rugby players in Christchurch.
Facts/Trivia
- He follows a non-vegetarian diet.
Billy Bowden posts about eating chicken on Instagram
- He was known by nicknames such as Billy, Captain Hook, and Mr. Slow Death.
- When he was diagnosed with arthritis, he said in an interview that the disease affects one in six New Zealanders and more than 700,000 people have been diagnosed with arthritis. His wrists, elbows, fingers and feet are all affected by arthritis which, unfortunately, cannot be cured. Living under these conditions is very challenging because it feels like walking on broken glass. However, through careful diet, exercise and medication, he successfully dealt with the disease for 40 years.
- In an interview, he revealed that he grew up in a Christian family and his father had been a pastor for 65 years. He mentioned that his strong religious background helped him cope with his illness.
- During one of the matches, Indian cricketer Suresh Raina imitated Bowden’s finger gesture and raised his finger in unison with him.
- He has appeared in commercials. On many posters, he often poses with his famous “Crooked Finger of Doom” symbol.
- Thousands of fans will stand with him when he does his signature “crumb sweep” wave to signal “four.”
- In 2005, he made a unique gesture by waving a red card to Australian bowler Glenn McGrath, even though red cards are not used in cricket. Australian cricketers found his performance entertaining, but in a survey conducted in 2007, Australian Cricketers ranked Bowden as the worst Test umpire. Additionally, former New Zealand cricketer Martin Crowe was not happy with Bowden’s officiating style.
Billy Bowden shows red card to Glenn McGrath
- In 2006, during the Ashes Test match in Brisbane, Bowden was standing at square leg when he was accidentally knocked to the ground by a ball hit by Geraint Jones.
- In the fifth Test of the 2006-07 Ashes series, Bowden stepped in to prevent Paul Collingwood and Shane Warne from exchanging words when Warne was batting and Collingwood was defending. Bowden runs in through square leg to keep the peace. It is worth noting that during this period, Bowden was going through a difficult phase and his decision-making was not as precise as usual. In an interview, Vaughn talked about Billy and said,
Billy Bowden was inconsistent and we saw that at Headingley. I think Billy can be very good, but sometimes he can get a little carried away. “
Billy Bowden in conversation with Shane Warne
- In 2007, he became the eighth referee to officiate 100 one-day international matches.
- In 2010, he made a unique umpiring move during the Australia-West Indies one-day international in Adelaide. After Mitchell Johnson took a wicket, he walked through the stumps to get the batsman over before returning to his original position and raising his trademark crooked finger to signal him out.
Billy Bowden shows Mitchell Johnson
- In 2012, during the seventh ODI at The Gabba in Brisbane, an incident occurred involving MS Dhoni and the on-field umpire. Michael Hussey was bowled out and Dhoni canceled the bail so third umpire Bruce Oxenford said ‘out’. However, on-field referee Billy Bowden called Hussey back. The decision angered Dhoni, who expressed his displeasure with the umpires.
Billy Bowden talks to MS Dhoni
- In 2016, he was dropped from the New Zealand Cricket international team. He had faced a similar situation before when he was dropped from the International Cricket Council’s elite panel in 2013. He returned to the panel in 2014 but was removed again after umpiring a Test match between West Indies and England. During the competition in Barbados in May 2015. However, Bowden continued to umpire and played his 200th One-Day International (ODI) match when New Zealand played Australia in Wellington in February 2016.
- In February 2016, he participated in the ODI match between Australia and New Zealand. During the second innings of the game, he devoted a lot of time to supporting a charitable trust that raises funds for arthritis sufferers. In interviews, Bowden expressed gratitude that despite his own battle with arthritis, he still maintains the ability to walk and communicate like most people.
- In an interview, one critic commented of him:
Referees have their own character and personality. We are not clones. We are not paper cutouts. It would be boring if we were all the same. When you see me, there are no additives, no preservatives. It’s freshly squeezed. What you see is what you get. “
- Australian media said in a statement they had never really liked him and took issue with his gesture, saying,
Maybe he should consider saying something after the game or during a short break instead of interrupting the conversation. “
- He is a teetotaler, but prefers a South African drink called Amarula.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education