The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has sent birthday wishes to cricketer and First Class Umpire John Holder who announced his retirement from the BBC’s Test Match Special’s Ask The Umpire feature in 2024.
Ask The Umpire a long standing part of TMS takes place in the lunch interval of at least one Home Test Match each summer. Holder answered listeners questions on Umpiring decisions. Given the complexity of the Laws of Cricket there is always much to discuss.
Questions from BLF Organiser Keith Flett are a regular item each year. Holder provides knowledgeable answers while also grasping that they are not always entirely serious.
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, John Holder’s knowledge will be much missed on Ask The Umpire. It is a sign of his knowledge and gravitas that he always deal with beard related questions in an entertaining way.
Below is a question from the 2022 Ask The Umpire
We asked if a player with a luxuriant beard had dived to take a catch but it wasn’t clear if the ball was grounded on TV replays would be a player be out if the ball was lodged in the beard and therefore not on the ground.
John Holder ruled that the beard was part of the player and under their control so the batsman would be not out as the ball would be grounded in the beard.
Wiki
I have my doubts about “and under their control“…