From: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu (Murali Iyer)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: A story on Botham - thanks to Daniel the leggie
Date: Fri, 04 Sep 1992 15:07:58 GMT
Organization: Marquette University - Computer Services
Reply-To: 9063iyerm@vms.csd.mu.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: vmsd.csd.mu.edu


_______________________________________________________________________________

		BOTHAM'S BUSY SO MOBILE CALLERS GET THE BIRD.

	As English paceman Dominic Cork ran into bowl, cricket umpire
Dickie Bird held up his hand to stop the delivery. He then reached into 
his voluminous pocket where a mobile phone was ringing.

	He raised it to his ear and called to Ian Botham at first slip:
"It's for you!"

	The incident, revealed yesterday, took place in last week's
final one day international against Pakistan. Bird had agreed to store
Botham's phone in his coat pocket alongside the balls, counters, bails,
sun cream, sticking plaster and the rest of the treasure chest that
umpires carry.

	"I told the players there was a call and everyone was in
stitches," Bird said yesterday. "I told the caller it was a bit awkward
because I was in charge of an international cricket match."

	It was Botham's business manager and the burly all-rounder
yelled back to umpire Bird to say he would ring him back. Bird passed on
the message and the match continued.

	Then just before lunch, the phone rang again. "This time it was
a friend of Ian's ringing to try to arrange a fishing trip," Bird said.
"I shouted over to Ian at slip and he said he'd ring back this caller
too."

	Bird said it was the most unusual item he had had to carry
during a match. "But I realised it was a bit of fun and the England
players had a good laugh about it. Let's face it, it helps to break up
the tension when everyone is so keyed up."

_______________________________________________________________________________

Well what can you say?! - That's I.T Botham for you!

The sports show on our local radio station rang Dickie Bird last night,
and had a very funny interview with him. Bird said how he felt honoured
that so many players around the world thought he was the best umpire, as
he is fair and honest, and always willing to share the odd joke on the
field with them.

He then went on to tell of some of the more funny incidents that have
happened to him over the past 23 years of his first class umpiring. 
He told of one county match where Allan Lamb locked Bird and the other
umpire in their changeroom, gathered a bit of paper and rubbish around 
the outside of the door and set fire to it!
There was smoke everywhere while the teams were already out on the field
waiting for the umpires!

He also told of how in one match, Botham and Lamb put a whole lot of
"Chinese fire crackers" at square leg, so when Bird went to stand there
at the end of an over, he set them all off, with sparks and bangs going
everywhere!!

Bird then told of how every time the West Indies play a test series in
England he has to order at leat 20 of the "funny" white caps he wears
during the match, as the West Indian supporters always run onto the
field and grab them off his head at the end of an exciting match!
He told of how he was on a bus in London one day when a big West Indian
bus conductor came up and asked him for his ticket. The conductor was
wearing a "funny" white cap which Bird recognised! He asked the
conductor where he had bought his cap. (Dickie putting on his best West
Indian accent) "Hey mon, I got this hat off that umpire Dickie Bird. I
ran onto the field at the end of the 1975 World Cup final, hit him on
the back of the head, and grabbed it." Bird never let on to who he was to
the conductor who failed to recognise him!!!


It's good to see the players having a bit of fun with an umpire they
respest and who takes it all in his stride!

Hope you can post all of the above to rsc Murali, I'm sure it will be
enjoyed!

Daniel.

**************************************************

That was a post from Daniel[the owls are not what they seem]the leggie.
I have got to go. 





                               Murali Iyer 

Analyst/Programmer,                                Home  : (414) 288 8766
Marquette University, CSD                          Office: (414) 288 6890
517, N.14th St, Rm 159,                            1343, W Wisconsin, #331,
Milwaukee, WI 53233.                               Milwaukee, WI 53233.