Umpiring in cricket is often plain and simple, with decisions being made by mere gestures of hands. While New Zealand's Billy Bowden has been the only exceptional case in the sport so far, a video from 2016 of an umpire officiating in a local game is going viral on social media because of the sort of dance he does during a cricket match.

Known for his exaggerated signals and crooked index finger, Bowden has been one of the most respected umpires in the game, officiating in 84 Tests, 200 ODIs and 24 T20Is and since his exit from international cricket, there hasn't been any official with a similar character. While professional cricket might still be lacking like that of the Kiwi, a video which has been doing rounds across social media does reveal that local cricket has it's own version of Billy Bowden.

Here's another video of his unique umpiring style:

While such umpires are remembered for their eccentric ways of officiating, people sometimes forget to understand the story behind such acts. Billy Bowden, in an interview to Stuff.co.nz, revealed the secrets behind his crooked finger and other unique ways of officiating which was a result of rheumatoid arthritis that had struck him.

“It hit me for six. It really tested me. In the end I decided there’s two ways I could go about it – sit around doing nothing or accept it and move on. A lot of people are worse off than me. I can walk and see and I’m still involved with cricket. It doesn’t stop you doing things you love. You might not be able to do them 100 percent but you can do them. It’s all in the mind. It is a pain in the butt to live with though. Arthritis is a life sentence of pain. There are times people would rather die than deal with the pain. It’s like walking on glass.”

"Players understand it and they walk off when they see the finger, even if they think they are half-out. It says in the rules you've got to lift your index finger above your head, that's what I'm doing. It doesn't say you have to lift your index finger straight above your head.

"Umpires have their own characters and their own personalities. We're not clones. We're not paper cut-outs. It would be a boring place if we were all exactly the same. There's no additives when you see me, no preservatives. It's freshly squeezed. What you see is what you get," Bowden had said.

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