Kevan Barbour, as well as being provincial manager of the Manicaland Cricket Association, has risen swiftly as an umpire in Zimbabwe. Short and stocky in build, Barbour has built a reputation for himself as a strong decisive umpire who relates well to the players but takes no nonsense from them. As a former player himself, a wicket-keeper/batsman, he was not far off the Rhodesian national team, as it then was, without quite earning selection. Born and bred in Bulawayo, Barbour attended Milton High School, earning selection for the Matabeleland Schools side. In 1966 made his club debut for Old Techs. He progressed to the Matabeleland Logan Cup team, making his debut against Midlands in 1968. After moving to Mutare for work in 1970, he played for Manicaland until 1975, and also represented Rhodesia B against similar teams from Transvaal and Western Province. He then moved to Kwekwe in the Midlands for two years from 1975, playing for his third province in the national club league and Logan Cup. From there, he went to Chiredzi in the Lowveld for eighteen months, where Manicaland used to fly him up to resume playing for them, until finally settling in Mutare in 1979, where he has lived ever since. Barbour continued as a player until 1996, well into his forties, before taking up umpiring after encouragement from Alistair Christie and Dave Valentine, umpires in Mutare while he was playing. Just six years later, he was given two on-field and 14 television appointments during the World Cup in South Africa, the highlight of his umpiring career so far.

Apart from his time in the Midlands, he has been involved in cricket administration in Manicaland since he first arrived in 1970. He started off on the committee before becoming vice-chairman under Oliver Jordan, then took over as chairman and finally as president. After just seven years of umpiring, he is now on the second rung of the ladder, with only an appointment to the elite ICC panel yet to come.

• Interview - Kevan Barbour (Dec 21, 2002)