By Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer 
Bucknor
TEST cricket's leading umpire, Jamaican Steve Bucknor, is being tipped as favourite to stand in this year's World Cup final set for The Wanderers ground in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The 56-year-old Bucknor, from Jamaica's second city, Montego Bay, has made appearances in the last three World Cup finals. He left the island last Monday for South Africa to officiate in six preliminary round matches, beginning with tomorrow's game between Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
"Once the West Indies are not in the final, Bucknor qualifies to be one of the umpires," said Brian Breese of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA).
"He is one of the top two umpires in the world and he has impeccable credentials," the web site CaribbeanCricket.com, quoted Breese as saying
In 2001 Bucknor was among eight match officials named by the International Cricket Council (ICC) to an elite panel of Test umpires.
"Since I have been to a few finals, the odds on me getting to this one may be a little bit better than others," Bucknor said last week Sunday night before leaving for South Africa.
"We'll have to wait and see, Bucknor, a former FIFA referee told CaribbeanCricket.com, a web site crediting itself as the 'independent voice of West Indies cricket'."
Bucknor, also a former football coach, officiated in his first World Cup cricket final between Pakistan and England in Melbourne 11 years ago.
Respected throughout the cricketing world for his decisions, Bucknor was back in the middle for the 1996 final between Sri Lanka and Australia. The following World Cup, 1999, he was chosen for the Pakistan-Australia final in London.
Bucknor has stood in 102 one-dayers and 77 Test matches, the most by any umpire in the longer version of the game. He is the only West Indian umpire among the World Cup panel.
