Ted Wykes, a former Aussie Test umpire, once described Simon Taufel as the “Bradman of umpiring." Taufel is undoubtedly one of the most assiduous umpires in international cricket. Being one of the most respected umpires on the panel, he remains unfazed even in high-pressure situations and goes about his task in a composed manner.

He officiated in India`s first tour of Pakistan in 15 years, umpiring both the limited-overs and Test series. He was appreciated for his accurate and dispassionate approach.

There have been a few dark spots in his career. He ignored four consecutive bouncers off the bowling of Brett Lee in a match against South Africa, which Australia won by 246 runs. He was dubbed as “Awful Taufel” after the Trent Bridge Test between England and New Zealand in September 2004, where he went terribly wrong giving three dreadful decisions.

A new ball bowler, Taufel ( which in German means "devil") had his promising career cut short in second grade at North Sydney and Mossman after a suspected stress fracture of the back led to his retirement.

His tryst with cricket umpiring began when a friend suggested that they undertake an instructional course by the NSW Cricket Association. Taufel passed the course while his friend flunked.