The veteran umpire was named umpire of the year during the New Zealand Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association annual general meeting held late last month.
Auckland’s Annette Campbell was named scorer of the year, while umpires Tony Hill and Jeremy Busby were awarded life memberships.
Walker, who brought up 100 games as an umpire in all three formats of the game last season, played down his achievement when contacted by the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
"You hang around long enough and eventually you get an award," Walker joked.
The 60-year-old is half right about that. He has been around for a long time.
The former Otago all-rounder made his debut in 2004-05 and last season stood in his 100th first-class match.
He also reached 100 games in list A and twenty20 cricket and has officiated in eight T20 internationals and nine ODIs. His last international outing was in February 2016.
To stay at the top for as long as he has means you actually have do a good job and he has certainly done that.
"It was a very pleasant surprise ... and it was a nice end to that season or start of the new one, which ever way you want to look at it."
Former international and Otago umpire George Morris made the announcement which was a nice moment for Walker.
Morris has been a mentor to Walker and was instrumental in his development as an umpire.
Walker, who played 39 first-class games for Otago and 31 one-dayers during the 1980s, has been keeping busy during the off-season with some coaching and completing a discussion paper for New Zealand Cricket.
Unofficially, he has heard the season will get under way with a round of Plunket Shield games beginning on October 19.
"That is basically a normal starting date for us. The only hiccup ... is it will be pretty tight between our pre-season briefing and going on the park," Walker said in reference to Covid-19.
"Cricket has been very fortunate in that is has dodged some of the upheaval of other sports."
