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India v Pakistan, 2nd Test, Kolkata

Koertzen answers ICC SOS to stand in Kolkata

Cricinfo staff

November 29, 2007

Rudi Koertzen has flown to India to stand in the second India-Pakistan Test in Kolkata after Billy Bowden, who was due to officiate, was taken ill.

The Cape Argus reported that Koertzen, who was scheduled to umpire the opening Sri Lanka-England Test in Kandy, had been switched by the ICC at short notice as he was the only elite official who could make the trip at such short notice. Aleem Dar, who was not eligible to stand in Kolkata, is en route to Sri Lanka where he will replace Koertzen.

There had been suggestions in Australia that Koertzen was being punished for his well-publicised error in giving Kumar Sangakkara out in the Hobart Test, but an ICC spokesman made clear this was not the case. "If we replaced every umpire who made a mistake, there would be no umpires left," he said. "It's the same with players. Everyone makes mistakes. His replacement is more to do with the workload of umpires and some rescheduling."

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