ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 Match Officials Announced

Ahmedabad: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials for the opening game of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 between England and New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad. Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon will serve as on-field umpires, with Paul Wilson as the TV umpire, Shahid Saikat as the fourth umpire, and Javagal Srinath as the match referee.

Dharmasena, a notable figure in cricket history, made history in 2015 by becoming the first person to both play and umpire in an ICC Men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup final. Menon will be making his ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup debut, adding excitement to the match. Saikat will 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, including 16 umpires and four match referees. Among these, 12 umpires are from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. Six of the 16 umpires will be officiating in their first ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, while three are returning, having previously umpired in World Cup finals.

New additions to the team are Shahid Saikat and Alex Wharf. Returning umpires include experienced umpires such as Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, and Richard Kettleborough. Erasmus and Dharmasena were the central figures in both the 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final. Nitin Menon is the youngest umpire at the tournament at 39. He is joined by Shahid, Ahsan Raza, Adrian Holdstock, Wharf, and Chris Brown in making their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup debut.

The four match referees for the tournament are all former international players: Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson, and Javagal Srinath.