This selection marks a significant moment for Dharmasena, who, in 2015, achieved the unique distinction of being the first person to both play and umpire in an ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup final. In contrast, this will be Menon’s debut as an umpire in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup match. Additionally, Shahid Saikat will serve as the fourth umpire, and Javagal Srinath will act as the match referee for the England vs. New Zealand encounter.
The clash between England and New Zealand is a reiteration of the unforgettable final that took place four years ago. In addition to these prominent appointments, the Television Umpire duties will be undertaken by Paul Wilson. Notably, Shahid Saikat is set to become the first umpire from Bangladesh to officiate in this prestigious competition.
The ICC has assembled a team of 20 officials for the World Cup contests, consisting of 16 umpires and four match referees, including 12 umpires from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. Six of these umpires will be making their debut in an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, while three have previous experience officiating in finals.
Among the returning officials are Marais Erasmus and Richard Kettleborough, who presided over the finals in 2019 and 2015, respectively. In fact, Erasmus and Dharmasena were the umpires for both the 2019 Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final. Rod Tucker, who served as the third umpire in the 2019 final, is also part of the officiating team, ensuring the return of three of the four officials from the 2019 showpiece event.
Furthermore, officials with previous World Cup experience, including Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Paul Reiffel, Richard Illingworth, and Joel Wilson, will also be present at the 2023 tournament. Nitin Menon, the youngest umpire at 39 and representing host nation India, headlines the list of debutants, which includes Shahid Saikat, Ahsan Raza, Adrian Holdstock, and Alex Wharf.
Completing the lineup are four match referees, all of whom are former international players: Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson, and Javagal Srinath.
The complete list of match officials for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 is as follows:
Umpires:
Chris Brown (New Zealand)
Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)
Marais Erasmus (South Africa)
Christopher Gaffaney (New Zealand)
Michael Gough (England)
Adrian Holdstock (South Africa)
Richard Illingworth (England)
Richard Kettleborough (England)
Nitin Menon (India)
Ahsan Raza (Pakistan)
Paul Reiffel (Australia)
Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (Bangladesh)
Rodney Tucker (Australia)
Alex Wharf (England)
Joel Wilson (West Indies)
Paul Wilson (Australia)
Match Referees:
Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
Richie Richardson (West Indies)
Javagal Srinath (India).
1 thought on “The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the match officials for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 opener between England and New Zealand, scheduled for October 5th in Ahmedabad. Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon have been selected as the on-field umpires for this highly-anticipated match.”