Former Test Umpire Lou Rowan no more

Rowan wanted bouncers to be banned in cricket
Pic by Gerard Walsh

Louis Patrick "Lou" Rowan, at 91, the Australia's oldest ex-Test umpire breathed his last today. Rowan who officiated 26 test matches between 1963 and 1971. He also officiated cricket's first One Day International in 1971 at Melbourne. His first match between Australian and England at Sydney on 11 January to 15 January 1963 where he stood with fellow Umpire Bill Smyth. He was most notably known the controversial 1970-71 Ashes test series which saw England captain Ray Illingworth walking his team from the field after fast bowler John Snow was attacked by fan in the seventh Test at Sydney. 

Following the incident Rowan had instructed Illingworth to either return to field with his team or forfeit the match to which Illingworth obliged and the match continued. Rowan later warned Snow for dangerous bowling after Snow's bouncer hit Australian tailender Terry Jenner. 

After the Phil Hughes accident, Rowan said that he wanted to ban the bouncer in cricket and had shown surprise that there had never been legal action against a bowler or captain after a batsman had been hit by a bouncer. "If bouncers were outlawed from cricket, the game would not suffer, "They didn't bowl bouncers when the game was introduced, Cricket would not suffer if we never saw another bouncer." Rowan had then said.

Post retirement, Rowan worked as a Detective Sergeant with the Queensland drug squad where Rowan worked with a no nonsense attitude and was inclined to stand on his authority.