Kallicharan pays rich tribute to the strong umpire: Sang Hue was one of the best

Sunday, August 24, 2014 - Mumbai—Alvin Kallicharran, the former left-handed batsman of the West Indies team paid rich tribute to umpire Douglas Sang Hu, who at the age of 82 died in Jamaica on Friday morning.

“This is a very very sad news to me”, Kallicharan, 65, said over telephone from North Carolina. The umpire’s death news was first conveyed to him by this paper.

“He was one of the best umpires West Indies had produced. He was mentally very strong”.

Kallicharan didn’t wish to go back 40 years when his was controversially given out.

The umpire was involved in a controversy on the second day of the first Test between West Indies and England in Port-of-Spain in February 1974.

According to Wisden Almanac report : “Off the last ball of that day there occurred an extraordinary incident which led to angry crowd scenes and a long meeting in the pavilion of cricket officials from both camps.

Julien played the ball to (Tony) Greig at silly point and turned for the pavilion. So did some of the England fielders, while Knott pulled out the stumps. With Kallicharran walking down the pitch, Greig threw the ball at the stumps at the bowler’s end and Kallicharran was given run out.

After a two hour meeting with the England team besieged in their dressing room the West Indies Board issued a statement saying that in the interests of cricket generally and this tour in particular the appeal had been withdrawn and Kallicharran would resume his innings next morning. It was emphasised that the umpire, Sang Hue, had been correct in his decision.

So after expressions of regret from Carr and Greig, Kallicharran took his score to 158".

Kallicharan, however, has refused to recall the incident. “It is not the right time to discuss on this issue. I had absolutely no ill-feelings towards him and will try to send a condolence message to his family. I have full sympathy for the family”, he said.

“It was nice on the part of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) who have named umpires’ room after his name. They set the best example”, Kallicharan added.