daniel chigunwe
FORMER Zimbabwe cricketer Andrew Pycroft has been selected for a list of elite match officials to take charge of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy to be co-hosted by Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The competition takes place from February 19 to March 9.
ICC have selected a team of 12 umpires who will officiate in the eight-team competition in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan and Dubai in the Emirates.
Pycroft, David Boon, and Ranjan Madugalle, all members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, are the three-member team of referees.
Pycroft, who was born on June 6, 1956, played three Tests and 20 One Day Internationals before he retired from 1983 to 1992.
He was a competitive batsman who retired early because of young family demands. He also captained the national team. After retiring, Pycroft managed the Zimbabwe Under-19 and became a national selector.
Pycroft coached Zimbabwe and went on to resign during the 2003 World Cup finals.
At the time, he said there was no communication between him and the selectors.
Richard Kettleborough, a veteran of 108 Men’s ODIs, who stood in the final of the last edition played in the United Kingdom in 2017, is among six umpires who return for another Champions Trophy.
Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker, all members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, are others who also featured in 2017. Kettleborough and Illingworth, who stood together for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad, are joined by Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson, all of whom officiated at the World Cup in India.
Boon was referee in the 2017 final while Pycroft also officiated in the tournament. Madugalle returns after officiating the 2013 final. Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager — Umpires and Referees: “We are pleased to announce our panel of match officials for the upcoming Men’s Champions Trophy. This is a credentialed officiating team whose expertise will be valuable in this high-profile tournament.
“We always try to name the most suitable and deserving officials for any event, and we are confident this group will do a fine job across the matches in Pakistan and the UAE.
“I wish them all the best and hope they have a memorable tournament.”
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.
Match Referees: David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft.
Sports Reporter/icc-cricket.com
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