Ex-South African umpire Rudi Koertzen dies in road accident
Former South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, described by the media as the 'slow finger of death, passed away in a car accident, confirmed a member of his family on Tuesday. He was 73.
Koertzen suffered a car crash on his way home with his friends.
“Rudi sustained fatal injuries following an accident near Stilbaai between Cape Town and Gqeberha,” the family spokesman said, calling for anonymity.
His son, Rudi Koertzen Jr., told Algoa FM News that his father was dead on the spot.
‘He took part in a golf tournament with some of his friends, and they were coming back on Monday, but it seems they have decided to take another round of golf,’ said Koertzen Jr.
Koertzen was among the top umpires in the world, umpired in 108 Tests, 209 ODIs, and 14 T20Is.
He was an umpire for the first time in 1981. He completed his first international assignment 11 years later and retired in 2010 following a test between Australia and Pakistan in Leeds, England.
He became known as the ‘slow finger of death’ because he raises his finger very slowly each time pointing at a batsman who was out.