Frontier India Current Affairs

Written on May 21, 2008 – 1:58 pm | by FICA |

Umpire Billy Bowden , known all over the world for his ” crooked finger” dismissals , and unique umpiring style, looks at being a “model” for brands and companies in India. Navroze Dhondy, C E O, Creatigies Communications, a cricket die hard and also writer on cricket affairs, said “Billy is a character, and brands who are progressive and open to innovation would happily find a great brand fit with Billy. He is easily recognizable, and has great ’stand-out’ value”

Bringing a special brand of creative flair to the game, Brent “Billy” Bowden, the New Zealand umpiring sensation shot to fame with a zany array of embellished signals and showmanship. Bowden turned to umpiring after the onset of arthritis in his early-twenties, and earned a reputation for giving batsmen out with a curiously bent finger. He threw out the rule-book which states that the best cricket officials are the ones that go unnoticed, and added a whole host of innovations to his daily routine.

For all the ’showmanship’ , his decision-making skills are almost without equal among the ICC’s elite panel, where over the last few years he has been declared by the ICC as one of the top 3 umpires in the world.

With more than 175 matches, ( 124 Tests, 46 ODIs and 5 T20 matches) Billy Bowden is one of the most experienced Umpires on the ground today, and with just being 45, he has many years to go.

Billy has also done his bit to promote awareness of Arthritis in New Zealand, and is a great champion of the cause that total awareness of the problem leads to better management and cure.

Billy is currently in India for the IPL and is one of the most mobbed characters whether walking down the Gateway of India in Mumbai or the crowded streets and bazaars of Jaipur.