David Robert Shepherd was born in Devon, England on the 27th December 1940, and would go on to officiate in 92 Test matches and three World Cup Finals.
Shepherd's Playing Days
Shepherd's cricketing career began in 1965 for Gloucestershire and would continue at first class level until 1979. With a blistering 108 on debut against Oxford University it seemed as if the young right hander was destined for great things.
It would prove to be somewhat of a false dawn for ‘Shep’, as he would affectionately become known, as he only managed a further eleven hundreds for Gloucestershire in a relatively undistinguished playing career.
Although he never came close to representing England, Shepherd was very popular with his fellow players and supporters. One memorable moment often recounted was Shepherd hitting the ball so hard into the crowd that it knocked out a spectator reading a newspaper. The spectator was taken to hospital and recovered with only minor injuries.
Shepherd's Umpiring Days
In 1981, two years after hanging up his gloves David Shepherd would return to the game, establishing himself as one of Cricket's most charismatic individuals.
He quickly established a reputation for himself as within two years of umpiring his debut first class game he was selected to stand in the 1983 World Cup held in England. The summer of 1985 would bring further prestige as Shepherd stood in his first Test: the fourth Test of that summer’s Ashes Series at Old Trafford.
Standing alongside him was another giant of cricket umpiring; Dickie Bird, who commented on his friend’s death saying, "I feel very saddened this has happened, He was a fine umpire, we spent many happy hours together. He was a great man and a tremendous man to umpire with. He was a good bloke, he'll be sadly missed."
Just like his playing career Shepherd had got off to a flyer but this time there would be no looking back. He established himself as a permanent fixture of the international scene. He was awarded an MBE in 1987. During the 90s the ICC decision to install a panel of neutral umpires for Test matches saw Shepherd makeup part of the initial list. He would retain his position until he retired in 2005.
Retirement
When news off his impending retirement loomed he was lauded where ever he went. The Australia-New Zealand series in March 2005 saw the players give him a guard of honour, and after he officiated in his last Test between West Indies and Pakistan in Jamaica, West Indian legend Brian Lara presented him with a bat.
Shepherd was given special dispensation allowing him to finish his career by officiating in the first Ashes Test of the memorable 2005 series at Lords but turned down the opportunity to maintain the ICC’s policy on neutral umpiring.
It was a clear indication of the respect and fondness with which many in the cricketing fraternity held Shepherd and apart from his stature as an excellent decision maker, various quirks may also have played a part.
Shepherd's Quirks
Among the most famous of these was Shepherd's 'jig', which comprised of him lifting one foot of the ground and hoping around when the score was reached 'Nelson.' The term corresponds to the number 111 and other multiples thereof and harked back to the Umpire's days as a young boy playing village cricket.
Shepherd described it himself saying, "we had an unlucky number - 111, we found that the only way to counteract something bad happening on a Nelson number was to get your feet off the ground. You could just lift your feet off the pavilion floor if you weren't in the middle, but if I was on the field of play I would just jump or hop."
The superstition which Shepherd made his own has been the subject of artwork most famously comprising of a statue of himself outside Lords Cricket Ground.
Upon retirement from umpiring, Shepherd returned to Devon and remained involved with his local clubwhere he became President. He married Jenny, his long-time partner, in 2008.
Tributes to Shepherd
On his death ICC President David Morgan led the tributes calling Shepherd, "a true gentleman of the game, a match official of the very highest quality."
The current international umpires many of whom stood alongside Shepherd issued their own statement in tribute. "Every time we see Nelson on the scoreboard, we will be thinking of Shep's little jig and saying a quiet 'thank you' for having him as one of us. As Shep would always say to every umpire he worked with on the way out to the middle, we now say to him: 'Good luck mate and may your God go with you.'"
Sources
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/2929691.stm
http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/431815.html
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