For the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, which will take place in South Africa from January 19 to February 11, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the list of match officials selected.
Overseeing 41 matches featuring the world’s finest young cricket players, a seasoned panel of 16 umpires and four match referees has been chosen to supervise the competition.
Fit The first group stage encounter between hosts South Africa and another previous U19 champion nation, the West Indies, at Potchefstroom on January 19 will be overseen by a skilled staff, according to official appointments that have also been confirmed.
Ireland’s Roland Black and Bangladesh’s Gazi Sohel will officiate the game on the field. While Sohel has been playing internationally since 2012, Black will be officiating in his third U19 Men’s CWC.
For his sixth time officiating at the renowned event, the match referee for the match will be former Sri Lankan international cricketer Graeme Labrooy.
The fourth umpire, Bismillah Jan Shinwari of Afghanistan, and TV umpire Rashid Riaz Waqar of Pakistan will round out the officials for the hosts’ opening game.
The reigning champions, India and Bangladesh, will square off in Bloemfontein on January 20, which is the day after the exciting 2020 final.
In charge of that match will be Donovan Koch of Australia and Nigel Duguid of the West Indies. Langton Rusere of Zimbabwe will serve as the fourth umpire, while Allahudien Palekar of South Africa will serve as the TV umpire and Shaid Wadvalla as the match referee.
Along with Bongani Jele, Palekar will be one of two umpires from the host country participating in the U19 Men’s CWC. Both have had successful international careers spanning more than ten years.
K.N.A. Padmanabhan of India will join Jele as on-field umpires for the first East London match between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Forster Mutizwa of Zimbabwe and Phil Gillespie of Australia will serve as TV umpires and fourth umpires, respectively, for the tie. Narayanan Kutty of India will officiate the match.
The opening match will take place at Kimberley on January 21 against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka. On-field referees Mike Burns and Patrick Gustard will oversee the game; TV umpire Masudur Rahman Mukul of Bangladesh, fourth umpire Faisal Khan Afridi of Pakistan, and match referee Wayne Noon of England will preside.
The ICC Manager of Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey, made the following statement regarding the announcement of the match officials: “The U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a very important event in the ICC calendar.” For many of the athletes taking part in this year’s competition, it is their first experience competing on a global scale. It has long been seen as a platform for future sports stars to establish themselves.
In a similar vein, it represents a significant milestone in the development of the umpire pathway. I have no doubts about the outstanding work that the team of international match officials that have been appointed is diversified and very motivated. I hope they have the finest possible time in South Africa.
The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 match officials
Umpires: Bismillah Jan Shinwari, Donovan Koch, Phil Gillespie, Gazi Sohel, Masudur Rahman Mukul, Mike Burns, K.N.A. Padmanabhan, Roland Black, Faisal Khan Afridi, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Allahudien Palekar, Bongani Jele, Patrick Gustard, Nigel Duguid, Langton Rusere, and Forster Mutizwa
Match Referees: Graeme Labrooy, Shaid Wadvalla, Narayanan Kutty, and Wayne Noon
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