The match officials' list for the Champions Trophy 2025 is out. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced a list of 15 match officials, including three match referees and 12 umpires for the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to commence in Karachi on February 19 with the final on March 9. The event will be held at three venues in Pakistan - Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi - while India will play all its matches (including semi-final and final if it qualifies) in Dubai, starting with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20.
However, the tournament will have no Indian match official. India pace great Javagal Srinath is the only Indian in the ICC Elite panel of match referees, while Nitin Menon is the lone Indian in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
"The ICC wanted to put him (Menon) on the Champions Trophy roster. But he decided against travelling to Pakistan due to personal reasons," a BCCI source told news agency PTI.
Menon could not have stood in the matches in Dubai as the ICC follows the policy of appointing neutral umpires. The world body did not comment on Menon in its statement to unveil the list of officials.
Then, a report in TOI, quoted Srinath saying he asked for leave during the Champions Trophy 2025. "Yes I had asked for leave as I had quite a few days away from home in the month of November, December and January."
Australian legend David Boon, Sri Lankan great great Ranjan Madugalle and Zimbabwe's Andrew Pycroft were named as match referees for the eight-team tournament. All the three match referees chosen for the tournament are experienced. Boon has featured in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, while Madugalle is back after officiating the 2013 final. Pycroft also featured in the 2017 tournament.
"A distinguished panel of 12 umpires will officiate the eight-team event, with six returning officials from the 2017 edition, including Richard Kettleborough, who stood in the final of the previous Champions Trophy in the UK," the ICC said in a release Kettleborough, a veteran of 108 ODIs, will be joined by fellow umpires Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker, who also officiated in the 2017 tournament.
"Dharmasena will be extending his stint of officiating 132 ODIs at the upcoming tournament, a record for an umpire from Sri Lanka in the One-Day format."
Match Officials: 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.
With PTI inputs
source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/champions-trophy-after-umpire-nitin-menon-only-indian-icc-elite-match-referee-opts-out-of-pakistan-leg-7643052
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