Retired Test umpire Steve Bucknor is the new president of West Indies Cricket Umpires Association (WICUA).

The 62-year old record setting cricket umpire defeated incumbent Hartley Reid by a vote of 14 to 11 for the top post during the association's 24th Biennial Convention, currently underway at Grotto Bay Hotel.

Bucknor, who stood in a record 128 Tests, is not among the fifty WICUA delegates attending this week's event.

The Jamaican is currently in the UK attending ICC umpire seminars along with current Test umpire Billy Doctrove, who has stood in 53 Tests and recently officiated in the popular Indian Premier League in South Africa.

Bucknor, who officiated in the previous five World Cup finals, bowed out of international cricket in March of this year following the Windies' back-to-back ODIs against England at Kensington Oval.

The ICC elite panel umpire and former football referee began his international umpiring career in 1989 and went on to officiate in a record 128 Tests and 181 ODIs.

Bucknor's ascent in the international cricket arena was nothing short of meteoric as his appointment to the 1992 World Cup arrived after standing in four Test matches and a handful of ODIs.

In 2005 Bucknor became the first umpire to stand in 100 Test matches and only former colleagues David Shepherd and Rudi Koertzen have umpired in more ODIs than him.

Also highlighting business sessions during this week' convention was the appointment of local umpire, Richard Austin, to the association's Publicity Committee and Canada's acceptance as a full member of the WICUA.

Along with Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association colleagues, Kent Gibbons and Anthony Fubler, Austin successfully completed WICUA oral and practical exams last year and tomorrow will see the trio receive their official badges and certificates during the President's Dinner and Awards ceremony at Grotto Bay Hotel.

Austin and Fubler were also recently appointed to the ICC 'A' and 'B' Umpiring Panels, bringing the number of local umpires officiating at that level to five.

Top umpire Roger Dill serves on the ICC's Americas Region Elite and Associate and Affiliate International Panels, BCUA vice-president Steven Douglas serves on the ICC Americas Region Elite Panel while Lester Harnett serves on the ICC 'B' Panel of umpires. Earlier this year BCUA president, Wali Manders, veteran umpires George Francis and past WICUA vice-president Randy Butler all resigned from the ICC 'A' Panel.

Bermuda Cricket Board is funding this week's 24th Biennial WICUA Convention, the first held here since 1993.

"Our friendship with the West Indies Cricket Board and and West Indies Cricket Umpires Association has been a long association," commented BCB president Reggie Pearman. "Both associations have played a significant part in Bermuda's progress on the world stage in cricket and for that we thank you and hope the relationship will continue to prosper and grow to new heights."

The WICUA is divided into four groups with Area One comprising of Bermuda, Jamaica, Canada, USA and Cayman Island.

Windward Islands make up Area Two, Leeward Island Area Three while Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago make up Area Four.