Paul Reiffel

Paul Ronald Reiffel (born 19 April 1966) is an Australian former cricketer who played in 35 Tests and 92 One Day Internationals (ODIs) from 1992 to 1999.[1] He was part of Australia's victorious 1999 World Cup team. After retirement he became a first-class cricket umpire.[2] He is currently a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.

Paul Reiffel

Personal information
Full name	Paul Ronald Reiffel
Born	(1966-04-19) 19 April 1966 Box Hill, Victoria, Australia
Nickname	Pistol
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-arm fast-medium
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 352)	1 February 1992 v India
Last Test	6 March 1998 v India
ODI debut (cap 108)	14 January 1992 v India
Last ODI	20 June 1999 v Pakistan
ODI shirt no.	4
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1987/88–2001/02	Victoria
2000	Nottinghamshire
Umpiring information
Tests umpired	48 (2012–2020)
ODIs umpired	70 (2009–2020)
T20Is umpired	16 (2009–2016)
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 35 92 168 158 Runs scored 955 503 3,690 882 Batting average 26.52 13.97 24.76 14.00 100s/50s 0/6 0/1 0/18 0/1 Top score 79* 58 86 58 Balls bowled 6,403 4,732 32,772 7830 Wickets 104 106 545 166 Bowling average 26.96 29.20 26.40 31.04 5 wickets in innings 5 0 16 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 2 0 Best bowling 6/71 4/13 6/57 4/13 Catches/stumpings 15/– 25/– 77/– 44/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 3 March 2020

Playing career

Reiffel's career best bowling figures of 6/71 came at Edgbaston in 1993. Throughout his career he took 104 wickets at 26.96 in 35 Tests, taking 5 or more wickets in an innings five times. An accurate bowler whose main attacking weapon was seam bowling,[1] Reiffel was a more than handy batsman. While limited in his shotmaking ability, he had a solid defence. Two notable achievements in his Australian playing career were being members of the winning 1999 Cricket World Cup ODI team and the test side that defeated the West Indies during the 1994/95 Frank Worrell Trophy series.[3] Reiffel was a Victorian cricket captain who was notorious for declaring a Victorian innings closed in 2001 with Michael Klinger on 99 not out.[4]

Umpiring career

Reiffel made his first class umpiring debut in the 2004/2005 season after first umpiring in Melbourne grade cricket in 2002. Reiffel joined the Cricket Australia National Umpire's Panel in the 2005/2006 season.[5][6] In 2008, he became a member of the International Cricket Council International Panel of ICC Umpires,[7] the first former Australian Test cricketer to do so.[8] He made his international on-field umpiring debut in a One Day International match between Australia and New Zealand on 6 February 2009.[9] He also umpired in both Tests of the West Indies-New Zealand Test Series in July–August 2012.

In June 2013, Reiffel was elevated to the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires. He was selected as one of the twenty umpires to stand in matches during the 2015 Cricket World Cup.[10]

On the first day of the fourth Test between India and England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Reiffel was hit on the head by a throw from fielder Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He left the field and underwent some precautionary tests, which showed that he had not suffered any major injuries. The International Cricket Council, however, decided against Reiffel taking any further part in the match. He was replaced by Marais Erasmus who was originally the third umpire.[11]

In April 2019, he was named as one of the sixteen umpires to stand in matches during the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[12][13]

Family

Reiffel's father, Ron Reiffel, played for the Richmond Football Club. His grandfather, Lou Reiffel, was also an Australian rules footballer and played for both Melbourne and South Melbourne.[14]

Following the death of his father in December 2018, Reiffel pulled out of officiating during Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand the following month.

See also

• List of Test cricket umpires
• List of One Day International cricket umpires
• List of Twenty20 International cricket umpires

References

1. "Players and Officials – Paul Reiffel". Cricinfo. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
2. "International cricketers turned umpires". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
3. Polack J (2002) No more of Mr Nice Guy as Reiffel depart, CricInfo, 24 January 2002. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
4. Ahmed, Nabila (7 November 2005). "Klinger takes four years to finish century". The Age. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
5. "Reiffel picked on national umpire's panel". Cricinfo. 12 May 2005. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
6. Daffey, Paul (27 October 2002). "Reiffel's right decision". The Age. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
7. "Reiffel continues rise through umpiring ranks". Sydney Morning Herald. 24 October 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2009.
8. "Dhaka Bolshy but brilliant". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
9. Australia v New Zealand, Cricinfo, 6 February 2009.
10. "ICC announces match officials for ICC Cricket World Cup 2015". ICC Cricket. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
11. "Reiffel sent to hospital after blow to head". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
12. "Match officials for ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
13. "Umpire Ian Gould to retire after World Cup". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
14. Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia Of AFL Footballers. BAS Publishing. ISBN 978-1-920910-78-5.