Ross Alexander Emerson was born on 26 February 1954 and is a former Australian cricket umpire who is best known for calling Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing.
11 Facts About Ross Emerson
1.
2.
Ross Emerson played grade cricket for Petersham-Marrickville in the Sydney grade cricket competition.
3.
Ross Emerson is the brother-in-law of former Australian swing bowler Terry Alderman.
4.
Ross Emerson made his ODI debut in a match between Sri Lanka and the West Indies in Brisbane in January, 1996.
5.
Ross Emerson immediately became controversial, no-balling Muralitharan seven times, and continuing to do so even when he switched to bowling legbreaks, which are considered impossible to throw.
6.
Ross Emerson continued to officiate in ODIs for the next three years, standing in nine more games, all in Australia, but it was his last game which overshadowed even the first.
7.
On 23 January 1999 in Adelaide, standing at square leg, Ross Emerson called Muralitharan, prompting Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga to lead his team off the field in protest and consult team management and the match referee.
8.
The match later continued after Ross Emerson threatened to award the match to England, with Muralitharan confined to bowling legbreaks; Ross Emerson claimed that cricket was controlled by Asian countries.
9.
Video clearly showed that Ross Emerson was calling Muralitheran's legbreaks as throws as well, proving to many that he was simply out to call any delivery that Muralitheran bowled a no ball, regardless of it involving straightening the arm or not.
10.
Ross Emerson was stood down, and then was not reappointed to officiate again, claimed he had been asked to no-ball Murali by an Australian official and was ignored once the incident became a major issue.
11.
Ross Emerson subsequently retired from cricket, and as of November 2004, is the president of Swimming Western Australia.