I am not cricket crazy, but when the word ‘cricket’ is buzzed, the first name that comes to my mind is Umpire Reuben.
MUMBAI: I am not cricket crazy, but when the word ‘cricket’ is buzzed, the first name that comes to my mind is Umpire Reuben.
Umpire Judah Reuben, 84, died in a Mumbai hospital on Monday. He officiated in 10 official and two unofficial Tests. Reuben had caught England fast bowler John Lever using Vaseline on the ball during the 1976-77 series. It was one of the greatest controversies to hit world cricket.
Ninety-nine percent of the crowds at cricket stadiums these days will not know Umpire Reuben. For them cricket is all about Sachin, Azhar, Dravid, Ganguly, Sunny, Kapil… For me it was all about Umpire Reuben.
Umpire Reuben was a hero for us Mazagon boys many years back. Each time he used to walk past Chhatriwala Building, the boys would shout out, ‘‘Howzatt, Umpire Reuben?” Reuben used to live in a building at the side of the Mazagon court.
As kids, we used to dread meeting him face to face. Once, when I had to visit a classmate’s house for his notebooks, as I was absent in school, I trembled as I walked up the stairs to my classmate’s house. He was Reuben’s neighbour. Then, fortunately, the umpire was not at home.
About a decade back, he moved to Pune, with his wife Abigail.
When I met him in Pune in August, along with Mid Day Publications Sports Editor Clayton Murzello, and Nagraj Gollapudi of Cricinfo, it was an honour for me.
Clayton had tracked down the umpire who India had forgotten and wanted to interview him following the recent ball-tampering controversy involving umpire Darrell Hair in a Pakistan-England encounter.
I pleaded with him that I come along, not to join in the interview, but just to shake the umpire’s hands. A decision I will never regret.
At the interview, Reuben was as excited with memories as if he was on the cricket field, umpiring a match.
“I thought I would get a medal (in the Vaseline affair) but the matter was closed. The Cricket Board told us that we will not go further into the case as our relations with England will be strained,’’ he had told Clayton.
He had an opinion about everything cricket.
Abigail kept away for most part of the interview, but stepped in when it was time to say goodbye. Abigail, who used to teach Marathi for nearly 30 years at St Isabelle’s School at Mazagon, complained how Reuben used to be called late at night by the police as he was a fingerprint expert.
The umpire will strike back. I am sure, in Heaven, God will put Umpire Reuben to good use, umpiring matches.
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