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Umpires Bucknor, Dar received death threats in S. Africa
Sunday, 30 January 2005 - 11:54 PM SL Time
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LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Cricket umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar received a death threat on the final day of the fifth test between England and South Africa, Bucknor has said.
Bucknor and Dar received additional security after a person made a telephone call to the management offices at Supersport Park in Centurion on Tuesday and threatened to shoot both men.
`I was told the threat came towards the end of the last day,` Bucknor told Britain's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
`I was told that the words the caller used were 'We are going to get rid of Aleem Dar and Steve Bucknor, we are going to shoot them'.
`You get a lot of abuse as an umpire, but that is the first time that I have been threatened to that extent.
`I briefly thought about cutting short my stay and going home to the Caribbean but I convinced myself I'm stronger than that.
`I have to say that I am not really worried about it ' the words were serious, but I'm not sure whether the person who said them was serious.
`I'm certain it was just a hoax call.`
The match, badly affected by rain, ended in a draw ensuring England's first series victory in South Africa since 1964-65.
England won the five-match series 2-1.
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