Mark Benson steps down as Test umpire due to back injury

Mark Benson has stepped down from his role as an umpire with the England and Wales Cricket Board due to a back injury.

Benson, who has been a first-class umpire since 1997, will be replaced on the list by Billy Taylor.

The former Kent and England batsman was a member of the International Cricket Council's elite panel and stood in 27 Tests and 91 limited-overs international matches, including the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 final between India and Pakistan in Johannesburg.

The 57-year-old, who has recently undergone surgery on his back, returned to county cricket in 2009 after having to stand down during a Test between India and Australia at Adelaide because of stress-related ill health.

Former Sussex and Hampshire seamer Taylor will take over this season having been on the ECB's reserve list for the past five years.