By IANS,
Mumbai : Australian umpire Simon Taufel Saturday hoped that the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka will be remembered for the quality of cricket on the field.
Taufel, who will be officiating in his first World Cup final at the Wankhede Stadium, will be the on-field umpire along with Aleem Dar of Pakistan. Taufel, despite being the best in the business, could not get the opportunity to officiate in a World Cup final earlier as Australia were in the finals of the last three editions.
Taufel thanked god for the long awaited opportunity and said he hopes the final will be free of controversy.
“By the grace of god, I have got the opportunity. I want to thank people who are responsible for my selection for the final,” said Taufel before the start of summit clash.
“There is a lot riding on this match. Hopefully, the players will do well, the crowd will have a good time and the umpiring takes a back stage.”
Taufel also officiated in the high-pressure India-Pakistan semifinal in Mohali and received high praise for his umpiring in the match.
“India-Pakistan clash is second nature to me now. There is tremendous prssure involved in the match. I am really impressed with the way players handled the expectations of billion people,” he said.