Former South African international umpire Rudi Koertzen died in a car crash on Tuesday morning near a town called Riversdale. He was 73.

“He went on a golf tournament with some of his friends, and they were expected to come back on Monday, but it seems they decided to play another round of golf,” his son Rudi Koertzen Jr. told Algoa FM News.

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The 73-year-old was on his way home from Cape Town after a golf weekend when the vehicle he was travelling had a head-on collision, killing him and three others. 

Koertzen was of the most respected umpires in world cricket from the late 1990s till 2010. He had officiated in nearly 400 international games and was inducted into the ICC’s Elite Panel in 2002 and was a part of it for eight years. During his tenure, he officiated as on-field and TV umpire in as many as 397 games, including 128 Test matches, a record 250 ODIs, and 19 T20 Internationals. Koertzen is survived by his wife and four children.

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Following his death, cricket fraternity paid tributes to him to social media.

“Tragic news of the sudden passing away of Rudi Koertzen. He was a gifted individual and one of the finest umpires the game has witnessed, known for his sharp decision making abilities. My deepest condolences to his family and well wishers,” Yuvraj Singh wrote.

Sri Lanka great Kumar Sangakkara posted: “Saddened at the tragic loss of Rudi Koertzen. What a wonderful friend and umpire. Honest, forthright and loved the game. Shared many a beer at the bar talking cricket with him. RIP my friend.”

Former India opener Virender Sehwag revealed that Koertzen used to scold him after he played a rash shot. 

“Vale Rudi Koertzen ! Om Shanti. Condolences to his family. Had a great relation with him. Whenever I used to play a rash shot, he used to scold me saying, “Play sensibly, I want to watch your batting. One he wanted to buy a particular brand of cricket pads for his son,” Sehwag tweeted.