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New Delhi: Piloo Reporter, one of the foremost neutral umpires in the history of international cricket, died in Mumbai on Sunday due to illness at the age of 84. He was suffering from cerebral confusion and was being looked after by his wife and two daughters at home. The reporter umpired in 14 Tests and 22 One Day Internationals in a career spanning 28 years. It also includes the 1992 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.
Top veteran cricketers offer condolences:
Pity to lose one of the great umpiring characters of my time – Piloo Reporter. Not only did he have a great sense of humour but was a top class umpire as well. Condolences to the family and God bless his soul 🙏
— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) September 3, 2023
Sad to hear the news about Piloo Reporter. One of the iconic Indian umpires who was the first to stand as a neutral umpire in 1980s. May his soul rest in peace.
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) September 3, 2023
Sad to hear about the passing away of Shri Piloo Reporter, the first among neutral umpires.
His eccentric boundary signals were a delight to watch.
Heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/aISGN3GDiD— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) September 3, 2023
The reporter also officiated in 13 first-class matches, of which he was the match referee. Reporter was suffering from Traumatic brain injury and breathed his last at a hospital in Thane near his residence. His first match as an umpire was at the age of 29 in a domestic Ranji Trophy match.
The Piloo reporter stood with VK Ramaswamy in a Test match between Pakistan and West Indies in 1986 and holds a unique record. Former Indian umpire Piloo Reporter, who was among the first neutral umpires to officiate in Test cricket, died in Mumbai on Sunday. His first match as an umpire was at the age of 29 in a domestic Ranji Trophy match, while his last Test was also between the same teams in February 1993.
Piloo Reporter’s first match as an umpire was the Delhi Test between India and England in December 1984, while his last Test was also between the same teams in February 1993. He officiated for the first time in ODI in September 1984 in the India vs Australia match in Delhi. His last ODI was played in February 1994 between India and Sri Lanka at Rajkot.
He was called by former Pakistan captain Imran Khan to umpire the series against West Indies in 1986 along with VK Ramaswamy. The pair thus became the first pair of umpires to act as neutrals since 1912. The decision to introduce ‘neutral’ umpires was suggested by Pakistan captain Imran Khan to address concerns about the possible bias of home umpires.
