Umpire List for 2023: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the list of umpires who will officiate the league-stage matches of the highly anticipated 2023 ODI World Cup, set to commence in the first week of September. A total of 16 umpires have been selected for this prestigious cricketing event, with 12 hailing from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and the remaining four from the ICC Emerging Umpire Panel.
Notably, the tournament will kick off with a captivating clash between England and New Zealand, a reminiscent battle of the thrilling 2019 final, on October 5 in Ahmedabad. The umpires for the semi-final and final matches will be announced during the course of the tournament.
Some familiar faces from the cricketing world will be donning the umpire’s attire for this edition of the World Cup. Among them are Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, and Rodney Tucker, who all officiated the 2019 World Cup final, bringing their vast experience to the 2023 tournament.
One noticeable absence from the umpiring lineup is Aleem Dar, who stepped down from the Elite Panel earlier this year.
Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, expressed his confidence in the selected umpires, expecting them to excel in their roles during the event.
In addition to the list of umpires, the ICC also announced the officials for the tournament opener. Nitin Menon and Kumar Dharmasena will serve as the on-field umpires, with Paul Wilson handling the TV umpire duties and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid as the fourth umpire. While Menon will be officiating his first ICC Men’s World Cup game, Dharmasena boasts the distinction of being the first to both play and umpire in a World Cup final.
The India-Pakistan clash on October 14 in Ahmedabad promises to be a high-octane encounter, and it will be officiated by Richard Illingworth and Marais Erasmus. Richard Kettleborough will serve as the TV umpire, while Andrew Pycroft takes on the role of match referee for this much-anticipated match.
The ICC also announced four match referees, all of whom are former international cricketers, bringing the total number of officials in charge of the World Cup to 20.
Among the participating nations, England has the highest representation among the umpires with four members, followed by Australia with three, South Africa and New Zealand with two each, and India with one representative in the form of Nitin Menon.
Umpire List for 2023 ODI World Cup
Elite Panel of ICC Umpires for World Cup 2023:
- Christopher Gaffaney (New Zealand)
- Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka)
- Marais Erasmus (South Africa)
- Michael Gough (England)
- Nitin Menon (India)
- Paul Reiffel (Australia)
- Richard Illingworth (England)
- Richard Kettleborough (England)
- Rodney Tucker (Australia)
- Joel Wilson (West Indies)
- Ahsan Raza (Pakistan)
- Adrian Holdstock (South Africa)
Emerging Panel of ICC Umpires for World Cup 2023:
- Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (Bangladesh)
- Paul Wilson (Australia)
- Alex Wharf (England)
- Chris Brown (New Zealand)
Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees for World Cup 2023:
- Jeff Crowe (New Zealand)
- Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
- Richie Richardson (West Indies)
- Javagal Srinath (India)