Billy Bowden cut from NZC international panel

Friday, 17 June 2016 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

ESPNCricinfo: Billy Bowden may have stood in his last international match, after being dropped from New Zealand Cricket’s international panel of umpires.

Bowden was demoted to NZC’s national panel, along with Derek Walker and Phil Jones, in a shake-up of New Zealand’s umpiring ranks that resulted in former first-class players Shaun Haig and Chris Brown being promoted to the international panel. Wayne Knights was the third man added to the international panel.

Bowden stood in 84 Tests, 200 one-day internationals and 24 T20 internationals, his most recent appearance having been during the Chappell-Hadlee Series in Wellington in February.

He made his international debut in an ODI in 1995 and his Test debut in 2000, and for many years was one of the most recognisable figures on the ICC’s elite panel due to his unusual mannerisms.

However, Bowden was cut from the elite panel in 2013. He was reinstated in 2014 after the retirement of his countryman Tony Hill, but was axed once again in 2015.

Since then, Bowden was on New Zealand’s international panel, meaning he was still able to stand in international matches. As a member of the national panel, he will now only be able to officiate in domestic games and women’s internationals.