Three-time ICC Umpire of the Year recipient ends remarkable career

Marais Erasmus, a seasoned umpire from South Africa and a key figure in the ICC’s elite panel of umpires, has decided to end his umpiring career. He will officiate his last international match, which will be the first Test series between Australia and New Zealand at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.
As a member of the ICC’s elite panel, Erasmus is one of the best umpires, and his decision to retire from the game would leave a huge vacuum.

Adrian Holdstock will be the only South African umpire remaining on the elite panel after Erasmus’ retirement.

Erasmus said that he had notified the ICC of his intention to resign in October of last year during a lighthearted conversation with Cricbuzz.

“I decided in October last year and I informed the ICC that I would finish my contract in April and that would be that,” Erasmus said.

Three-time winner of the David Shepherd Trophy, cricket’s top honor for umpires, Erasmus characterized the experience of making the perfect call as “exhilarating” and said that umpiring is a difficult profession.

“The difficulty of the work, the pressure to do it correctly at that precise time. When you’re playing well, it’s always something unique and challenging, and it’s thrilling,” Erasmus said to Cricbuzz.

After winning the ICC Umpire of the Year award three times (in 2016, 2017, and 2021), Erasmus is second only to Australian Simon Taufel, who took home the trophy five times. As an on-field umpire, Erasmus refereed 80 red-ball games, 124 ODIs, and 43 T20Is.

Remarkably, Erasmus is not finished officiating and will probably return to the South African domestic scene after a hiatus.

“I’m just going to take the winter off for the first few months.” We have some internal trips scheduled, and starting in September, I will be under the control of CSA. We haven’t decided how exactly they want to utilize me yet. For the next domestic cricket season, I will serve as an umpire and mentor. I may attend the club championships or the school’s Khaya Majola Week, when I will be observing and counseling the umpires.”