Top Aussie umpire Taufel to quit world panel

The International Cricket Council announced on Wednesday that seasoned umpire Simon Taufel will step down from on-field duties next month to take up a new job as an umpires' supervisor. Taufel, 41, will leave the elite panel of umpires at the conclusion of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka on October 7 and begin his new role as the ICC's umpire performance and training manager. The Australian official, who was adjudged the umpire of the year for five consecutive years from 2004 to 2008, has stood in 74 Tests and 174 one-day internationals since his debut in 1999. "I am moving on from active international umpiring for personal and professional reasons," Taufel was quoted as saying in an ICC statement. "My wife and children have supported me immensely throughout my career and it is time for me to spend more time with them," he said in the statement. "My passion for cricket umpiring and personal professional development has shifted from on the field to off the field. In my new position I look forward to help create professional programmes and resources to support the current and future generations of cricket match officials." ICC chief executive David Richardson described Taufel as "one of the most respected umpires for over a decade and a role model for umpires globally who look to him for inspiration and guidance". "I am delighted that he will be working with us to groom and develop the next generation of elite umpires," Richardson added.