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IT might not have been the day the Chevrons had wanted, on the pitch, after a dominating show by Pakistan but, for one Zimbabwean, it was an historic occasion, at Harare Sports Club yesterday.
Langton Rusere became the first black African, to officiate in a Test match, when he took charge of this match together with South African umpire, Marais Erasmus.
On a memorable day for Zimbabwean officials, Andy Pycroft took the match refereeing duties while compatriots, Iknow Chabi and Chris Phiri, are the television and fourth umpires.
But, the big deal, clearly, was seeing the 35-year-old Rusere breaking barriers as he stood in his first Test, and creating a little bit of history, for himself.
Since the first cricket Test, between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in March, 1877, no black African umpire had ever taken charge of a match, at this level, of the game.
However, this all changed yesterday when Rusere enjoyed his date with history.
How things change.
Just two years ago, the umpire was dropped from the panel of the officials who were supposed to take charge of the series between the West Indies and India.
The ICC dropped him as part of the sanctions, which had been imposed on Zimbabwe Cricket, amid a fallout between the game’s leaders and the Sports Commission.
Rusere had been short-listed for the tour, along with Englishmen Nigel Llong and Richard Kettleborough and Australians Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker.
But, despite the disappointment, he continued working hard, leading to his historic moment yesterday.
He made history, in 2018, when he became the first Zimbabwean umpire to stand in the final of a major global cricket tournament, as one of the on-field umpires, for the Women’s World T20 final between Australia and England.
He has not looked back since he stood in his first international match, the Twenty20 international between Zimbabwe and India at Harare Sports Club, on July 19, 2015.
Three months later, he made his one-day international (ODI) bow in the match between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, on October 24, 2015.
After making his mark at the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2016 in Bangladesh, he went on to do duty at the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 staged in England.
As his stock continued to rise, he was appointed as one of the on-field umpires for the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 final, between Australia and England, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua, in November 2018.
Rusere had also stood in the semi-final between Australia and the West Indies at the same venue.
He now becomes the fourth Zimbabwean to umpire in a Test match after Kevan Barbour, the late Ian Robinson and Rusell Tiffin. — Sports Reporter/news18.com.
Online Reporter