According to the club secretary, Bernie Smith, a back injury forced Taufel to take up umpiring. “Owing to a back injury while representing our club, Simon had to stay away from the game. We were sad to miss such a good player like him as he had potential to be a good fast bowler,” Smith said from Sydney yesterday.

But the Sydney-based club is proud of Taufel. “However, we are happy to see him as a champion in his umpiring career. We are very proud of his contribution to the game,” he added.