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English cricket legend Harold 'Dickie' Bird has died at the age of 92, Yorkshire County Cricket Club have announced. He became a much-loved figure during his long career as a Test umpire, winning fans over with his eccentric approach to the role. Bird also played first-class cricket for Yorkshire and Leicestershire as a right-handed batsman, scoring two centuries in 93 appearances.
He was forced to retire from playing at just 31 due to an injury, after which he became an umpire. Bird oversaw a total of 66 Test matches, which once stood as a world record, as well as 69 one-day internationals and three World Cup finals. He retired from international umpiring in 1996, taking charge of his final county match two years later.
Bird's death was announced by Yorkshire on Tuesday, with a statement revealing that he 'died peacefully at home'. He was described as a 'national treasure' who made an 'outstanding contribution to cricket' over the duration of his career.
"He leaves behind a legacy of sportsmanship, humility, and joy, and a legion of admirers across generations," the statement added.
"The thoughts of everyone at the Yorkshire County Cricket Club are with Dickie’s family and friends during this time.
"He will be truly missed by all at the club, having spent an incredible amount of time in support of everyone here, and will be remembered as one the greatest characters in Yorkshire’s history.
"Further details regarding memorial arrangements will be shared in due course, and the club will be looking to honour him in a variety of ways in the coming weeks."
In a statement of their own, England said they were 'deeply saddened' to learn of Bird's death and added: "A proud Yorkshireman and a much-loved umpire, he will be sorely missed. Rest in peace, Dickie."
Bird was a passionate supporter of his local football club, Barnsley, with their chief executive John Flatman saying: "Dickie had an incredible life and Barnsley, as a town and football club, meant a lot to him.
"He was defiantly passionate about his roots here in Barnsley and his journey, which led him to become one of the most famous cricket umpires in the world. All of our thoughts at the club go to Dickie’s family and those closest to him at this difficult time."
Tributes have been flooding in from across the sporting world, with former Liverpool footballer Stan Collymore among those to express their sadness on social media.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), he wrote: "For several generations his name simply meant cricket, such was his association with the sport he served so well and loved so much."