Billy Doctrove
Encyclopedia
Billy Raymond Doctrove is a former international football referee, but is best known as an international cricket
umpire
.
qualifier between Guyana
and Grenada
in 1996. Despite retiring from international refereeing in 1997 he is still a keen follower of world and English football, supporting Liverpool F.C.
and being nicknamed Toshack, after the ex-Liverpool striker. He is also President of the Dominican Football Referees Association, and President of the Windward Islands Cricket Umpires Association.
.
He was appointed to his first test match
, the third test between West Indies and Pakistan at the Antigua Recreation Ground, in May 2000.
In 2002 he became a member of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires. He stood on that panel for four years during which time he umpired a large number of ODIs and the occasional test. The highlights of his time on the International Panel were an appointment to the 2004 Champions Trophy
, and the U19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in early 2006, where he stood in the final. In April 2006 he was promoted to the Emirates ICC Elite Umpire Panel
. Doctrove was appointed to the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20
in the West Indies.
, he was involved in controversy when he and fellow umpire Darrell Hair
ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. They awarded five penalty runs to England and offered them a replacement ball. Play continued until the tea break, but the Pakistani players refused to take the field thereafter. The umpires then left the field, gave a warning to the Pakistani players, and returned once more 15 minutes later. After waiting two more minutes the umpires removed the bails and declared England winners by forfeiture. The Pakistani team did take to the field 25 minutes later, but Hair and Doctrove refused to continue the game stating that the game had already ended with a Pakistani forfeiture the moment the bails were removed. The Test was abandoned following meetings between various officials from all parties, with Pakistan forfeiting the game. The match was followed by extensive media coverage and interest from all parts of the game. In the subsequent investigation it emerged that Doctrove had wanted to wait and be sure Pakistan were ball tampering before making accusations, but Darrell Hair had insisted on acting immediately. Ultimately Pakistan were cleared of ball tampering, but Inzamam-ul-Haq
, the Pakistan Captain, had to serve a ban for bringing the game into disrepute. Hair has since been barred from umpiring matches involving Test playing nations, but Doctrove has continued to serve a full member of the Elite Panel.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
umpire
Umpire (cricket)
In cricket, an umpire is a person who has the authority to make judgements on the cricket field, according to the Laws of Cricket...
.
Career as a FIFA referee
During his time as a referee Doctrove took charge of several international matches, including a World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
qualifier between Guyana
Guyana national football team
The Guyana national football team, nicknamed the Golden Jaguars, is the national team of Guyana and is controlled by the Guyana Football Federation. Although the former British colony is located in South America, it competes in CONCACAF, together with Suriname and French Guiana. Until the...
and Grenada
Grenada national football team
The Grenada national football team is the national team of Grenada and is controlled by the Grenada Football Association. It is affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF. The team is nicknamed The Spice Boys, a reference to the export of nutmeg from the country...
in 1996. Despite retiring from international refereeing in 1997 he is still a keen follower of world and English football, supporting Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and being nicknamed Toshack, after the ex-Liverpool striker. He is also President of the Dominican Football Referees Association, and President of the Windward Islands Cricket Umpires Association.
Rise to international umpiring
After retiring from football refereeing in 1997 Doctrove was able to concentrate more on his career as a first-class umpire. In April 1998 the West Indies Cricket Board appointed Doctrove to his first One Day International (ODI), the match between West Indies and England at Kingstown, St. Vincent. In that match he stood alongside Steve BucknorSteve Bucknor
The Honourable Stephen Anthony Bucknor OJ, also known as Steve Bucknor, is a former international cricket umpire. He was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on 31 May 1946. He became a high school mathematics teacher and sports coach, before becoming an international football referee and a cricket umpire...
.
He was appointed to his first test match
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
, the third test between West Indies and Pakistan at the Antigua Recreation Ground, in May 2000.
In 2002 he became a member of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires. He stood on that panel for four years during which time he umpired a large number of ODIs and the occasional test. The highlights of his time on the International Panel were an appointment to the 2004 Champions Trophy
ICC Champions Trophy
The ICC Champions Trophy is a One Day International cricket tournament, second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup. It was inaugurated as the ICC Knock Out tournament in 1998 and has been played every two years since, changing its name to the Champions Trophy in 2002...
, and the U19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in early 2006, where he stood in the final. In April 2006 he was promoted to the Emirates ICC Elite Umpire Panel
ICC Elite umpire panel
The Elite Panel of ICC Umpires is a panel of cricket umpires appointed by the International Cricket Council to officiate in Test matches and One Day Internationals around the world....
. Doctrove was appointed to the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20
2010 ICC World Twenty20
-------------------------------------------------Group A:---------Group B:---------Group C:---------Group D:---------Super 8s:...
in the West Indies.
The Oval imbroglio
On 20 August 2006, the fourth day of the fourth test between England and Pakistan at The OvalThe Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
, he was involved in controversy when he and fellow umpire Darrell Hair
Darrell Hair
Darrell Bruce Hair is an Australian former Test match cricket umpire, from New South Wales. He stood on the Emirates International panel of umpires from 2002 to 2003, before he, along with fellow Australian Simon Taufel, and New Zealander Billy Bowden, was appointed to the ICC Elite umpire panel...
ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. They awarded five penalty runs to England and offered them a replacement ball. Play continued until the tea break, but the Pakistani players refused to take the field thereafter. The umpires then left the field, gave a warning to the Pakistani players, and returned once more 15 minutes later. After waiting two more minutes the umpires removed the bails and declared England winners by forfeiture. The Pakistani team did take to the field 25 minutes later, but Hair and Doctrove refused to continue the game stating that the game had already ended with a Pakistani forfeiture the moment the bails were removed. The Test was abandoned following meetings between various officials from all parties, with Pakistan forfeiting the game. The match was followed by extensive media coverage and interest from all parts of the game. In the subsequent investigation it emerged that Doctrove had wanted to wait and be sure Pakistan were ball tampering before making accusations, but Darrell Hair had insisted on acting immediately. Ultimately Pakistan were cleared of ball tampering, but Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Inzamam-ul-Haq , also known as Inzamam, nicknamed Inzy, is a former Pakistan international cricketer who was national captain between 2003 and 2007. He is a right-handed batsman who has been regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of his era...
, the Pakistan Captain, had to serve a ban for bringing the game into disrepute. Hair has since been barred from umpiring matches involving Test playing nations, but Doctrove has continued to serve a full member of the Elite Panel.
International Umpiring statistics
As of the 26 November 2010:| First | Last | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | West Indies v Pakistan at St John's Antigua Recreation Ground Antigua Recreation Ground is the national stadium of Antigua and Barbuda. It is located in St. John's, on the island of Antigua. The ground has been used by the West Indies cricket team and Antigua and Barbuda national football team... , May 2000 |
Australia v England at Perth WACA Ground The WACA is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. WACA are the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association.... , Dec 2010 |
33 |
| ODIs | West Indies v England at Kingstown, Apr 1998 | West Indies v South Africa at Roseau Windsor Park (Dominica) Windsor Park is a multi-purpose stadium in Roseau, Dominica. It also serves as the national stadium and is currently used mostly for cricket matches... , May 2010 |
107 |
| T20Is | Kenya v New Zealand at Durban, Sep 2007 | Australia v England at Bridgetown Kensington Oval The Kensington Oval is located to the west of the capital-city Bridgetown on the island of Barbados. "The Oval" is one of the major sporting facilities on the island and is primarily used for cricket... , May 2010 |
17 |