David Shepherd, the former umpire, died on Wednesday aged 68 after a long struggle with cancer. Read his obituary of one of cricket's most popular figures in the Guardian, written by David Foot.

Humour was never far away. He was mischievously ever ready to relate tales of those celebratory evenings when, inexplicably, he lost both his car and his shoes. The umpires on the county circuit and those of higher international rankings liked him, too. They approved of the way he dealt with blustering troublemakers at the crease. They were aware how much he detested batsmen, some famous, who affected an air of innocence when they knew well enough that they had got a touch.

But even the finest of umpires make mistakes. He always owned up and later in the match might have a confidential chat with the batsman he had ruled out leg before.

The Daily Telegraph calls Shepherd "one of the best and fairest officials in the game". The obituary also has an account of how he decided to take up umpiring when a friend suggested it would offer him "the best seat in the house."

Shepherd had the hearty frame and smiling, ruddy face of a West Country landlord. But once he donned the umpire's white coat, he became a formidable adjudicator, as a generation of batsman will testify. He had a sharp eye and an exceptional rapport with the players – virtues that the International Cricket Council recognised when they appointed him for three successive World Cup finals.

In his blog in the Times, Patrick Kidd wonders why umpires aren't loved these days as they used to be in Shepherd's prime.

An obituary in the Times praises Shepherd for his calm deliberations and un-obtrusive control of the game, traits which made him one of the best and most respected umpires of his time.

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