Umpire Bruce Oxenford who witnessed the history being created at Gabba in the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy is now going to retire from international cricket. The 60-year old umpire provided the service of 15 years to international cricket and also known for his unremarkable decisions on-field. He will be retiring from his position in April.
Oxenford made his debut in Brisbane in a T20I fixture between Australia and South Africa in 2006. He has been part of 8 world cups in total, 3 in men’s 50-over World Cup, 3 in men’s T20 World Cup, and 2 in women’s 50-over World Cup. He officiated in 179 international matches in his career of 15 years which includes 62 Test matches.
“I look back with pride at my international career as an umpire. It is still hard to believe that I officiated in close to 200 international matches. Such a long career was not really something that I had hoped for before commencing on this journey,” he said.
“I would like to thank the International Cricket Council, Cricket Australia, and all my colleagues in the ICC Elite and International panels for their support and encouragement over the years. I had a wonderful time as a match official and will miss the camaraderie that comes with being a part of such a professional group. I shall particularly miss seeing and interacting with the magnificent people who are part of the support structure of our game around the world.
“Most importantly, I want to thank my wife Jo, son James and daughter Kristen for all their love and support over the years. It would not have been possible for me to have such a long career without their sacrifices and for this, I am eternally grateful.” he further added.
Adrian Griffith, ICC’s Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, expressed his gratitude towards Oxenford. “Bruce is an excellent umpire, and it has been a pleasure working with him over the years. He is a great team man and well respected by all his colleagues,”
“I congratulate Bruce on behalf of everyone at the ICC for a fine international career and wish him all the success in his future pursuits. It is pleasing to hear he will continue to umpire domestically and share his tremendous experience with the next generation of Elite umpires,” he said.
