Makes sense to keep Erasmus

Respected veteran cricket umpire Marais Erasmus this morning brought down the curtain on a successful career in Christchurch, New Zealand as the TV official in the second Test between Australia and the Black Caps.

The 60 year old steps down from the International Cricket Council (ICC) elite panel of umpires, having stood as an on-field umpire in 82 Tests, 124 one-day internationals, 43 Twenty20 internationals and 18 women’s T20Is.

His gentle, but fair approach endeared him to the players; he seldom made mistakes officiating in high-pressure matches, including the 2019 World Cup final between England and New Zealand.

Erasmus said: “I don’t want to walk away from cricket completely. Even if I’m not involved directly, I won’t stop watching the game. I’ve retired as an international umpire, but I can’t see myself ever retiring from being a cricket man. While I will miss being on the ICC elite panel and the challenges that come with it, I feel it is time for me to step away and look to contribute to the game in some other way.”

After an umpiring career that spanned more than two decades, Erasmus is now expected to work with Cricket South Africa in training their younger umpires. It’s wise to not discard such talent and experience, just like SA Rugby appointed referee Jaco Peyper as national law advisor after his retirement as an on-field official. South African cricket could still do with Erasmus’ services.

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