The Worldwide Cricket Council (ICC) has formally introduced the panel of 15 match officers who will oversee the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to happen from February 19 to March 9. The match shall be co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) throughout 4 prestigious venues: Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Dubai.
This announcement marks a major step within the preparations for the eight-team competitors, because the ICC has fastidiously chosen a group of skilled and elite officers to make sure truthful play and adherence to the best requirements of officiating in worldwide cricket.
Kumar Dharmasena to Richard Kettleborough: Key officers for the match
The ICC’s panel for the match consists of 12 umpires and three match referees, that includes a few of the most famed names in worldwide cricket officiating. Among the many 12 umpires, six had been additionally a part of the officiating group through the 2017 version of the Champions Trophy.
Notably, Richard Kettleborough, who officiated within the ultimate of the 2017 match between India and Pakistan, returns to deliver his huge expertise to the upcoming version. Different returning umpires from the 2017 Champions Trophy embrace Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker, all of whom have a wealth of expertise in dealing with high-pressure worldwide fixtures.
Dharmasena, who has officiated in 132 Males’s One Day Internationals (ODIs), will prolong his document because the Sri Lankan umpire with essentially the most ODIs officiated. He shall be joined by Kettleborough and Illingworth, who each performed essential roles in officiating the ultimate of the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup between India and Australia in Ahmedabad.
Their presence ensures that the match shall be overseen by officers who’re accustomed to dealing with the pressures of worldwide occasions. The opposite chosen umpires embrace Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf and Joel Wilson. Every of those umpires brings a novel mix of expertise and experience, having officiated throughout numerous ICC tournaments, bilateral collection, and home competitions worldwide.
Match Officers: Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson.
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Match referees to supervise the match
Along with the umpires, the ICC has appointed three match referees who’re members of the distinguished Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. The panel consists of David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle and Andrew Pycroft, all of whom have in depth expertise in officiating ICC occasions.
Boon was part of the officiating group for the ultimate of the 2017 Champions Trophy, whereas Pycroft additionally officiated in the identical match. Madugalle, an esteemed match referee with many years of expertise, officiated within the Champions Trophy 2013 ultimate, which noticed India emerge as champions. Their collective expertise will be sure that the match maintains the best requirements of integrity and self-discipline, additional enhancing the credibility of the officiating course of.
Match Referees: David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft.