Billy Bowden dropped from New Zealand’s international umpiring panel

New Delhi: Probably one of the most recognisable umpires, Billy Bowden may have stood in his last international match, after being dropped from New Zealand Cricket's international panel of umpires.

Bowded, 53, amused cricket fans with his eccentric signals, especially the crooked finger with which he indicated dismissals. He stood in 84 Tests, 200 one-day internationals and 24 T20 internationals.

He was demoted to NZC's national panel, along with Derek Walker and Phil Jones. New Zealand will have former first-class players Shaun Haig and Chris Brown in the international panel.

He was dropped from the International Cricket Council’s elite panel in 2013, returned in 2014 but was omitted again after umpiring the Test between West Indies and England in Barbados in May 2015.

But his most recent appearance was during the Chappell-Hadlee Series in Wellington in February.