Koertzen to equal world record

South African umpire Rudi Koertzen will equal the world-record set by David Shepherd of officiating 172 ODIs when he stands in at the West Indies-Bangladesh Super Eights match in Barbados on April 19.

In fact, Koertzen, nicknamed Slow Death, stood in his 100th ODI alongside Shepherd. “I am delighted to be in the same company as the legendary David Shepherd and that I am proud to be a South African." said Koertzen.

Gerald Majola, the CEO of Cricket South Africa, said that Koertzen's achivements had been recognised by Thabo Mbeki, the president of South Africa, when he bestowed on him the President's Sports Award. “Rudi is respected by the world’s top players and is an excellent role model for all aspiring umpires," Majola added. "We are very proud of him."