"I'm not a clown" - Billy

[Donny]

Umpire: I'm not a clown

From correspondents in Wellington, New Zealand - Fox Sports

NEW Zealand cricket umpire Brent Bowden has denied claims that his exuberant behavior at the end of Stephen Waugh's farewell test in Sydney was unprofessional.

Bowden, who stood in the test between India and Australia - the last of Waugh's distinguished career - hugged the Australian captain, took photographs and grabbed stumps as souvenirs as the emotionally charged match ended late Tuesday.

He admitted Thursday he had been affected the occasion as Waugh left the Sydney Cricket Ground to a standing ovation after scoring 80 to lead his team to a respectable draw.

But the flamboyant Kiwi denied that his behavior had been improper for a match official.

"I don't think I was being unprofessional," Bowden told Wellington's Dominion-Post newspaper.

"It was after the game. I was (exhausted) after all the pressure involved. It was a time to relax and do what you like.

"Steve's going was a special moment for me and I wanted to capture it with my camera."

Bowden said he hugged Waugh and told him "thanks for the memories and all the best."

He said he'd given one of his two souvenir stumps to Waugh on learning the Australian captain did not have one.

"It was a way of saying thankyou for all the support he had given in the last two weeks," he said.

Bowden's behavior has been widely remarked upon in Australia but he stoutly defended his flamboyance.

"I'm not a clown," he said. "My first priority is to get the decisions right but I want to enjoy it and entertain the crowd."

Bowden is due to officiate in three limited-overs internationals between New Zealand and Pakistan in New Zealand over the next 10 days.

[JLC]

I think Bowden is one of the better umpires going around.

jlc

[Fradam]

Billy is fantastic. He's a very good umpire and he's one of few umpires who gets involved in the game and feels the excitement and brings something to it.

[The Prototype]

He's a very good umpire, plus you get a laugh out of his signals, I remember in one of the One Day games in New Zealand for a wide he looked like he was going to fly away.

[commonwombat]

The game of cricket needs more Billy Bowdens and frankly he's in the top few umpires in the world.

[Blanch]

Agree with you all. He's an entertainer and makes us all laugh but he gets the job done nicely first.

I too want more Billy's out on the field.

[piedys]

As a batsman, i would hate to see him raise the "crooked finger" at me!

Dyso

[commonwombat]

He probably wouldn't have need to raise the crooked finger with you batting. Wouldn't it have been comprehensive enough with yr castle flattened behind ya??

[piedys]

Is the wombat suggesting that the great dyso failed to defend his woodwork on a regular basis? Rude friggin' wombat....

dyso