Dubai, Feb 5 (FN Bureau) The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the match officials for the upcoming ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025, set to be held across Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates from February 19 to March 9. The tournament will take place in four iconic venues: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan, and Dubai in the UAE.A distinguished panel of 12 umpires will officiate the 8-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.Kettleborough, a veteran of 108 Men’s 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, an ICC media statement on Wednesday said. Kettleborough and Illingworth, who both stood together during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup2023 final in Ahmedabad, They are joined by Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson, all of whom officiated at the World Cupin India. The panel of match referees will be led by David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft, all esteemed members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees.
Boon officiated the 2017 Champions Trophy final, while Madugalle returns after officiating the 2013 final, and Pycroft also featured in the 2017 tournament.Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, commented: “We are pleased to announce this highly credentialed team of match officials for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy2025. Their collective expertise and experience will be invaluable in ensuring the tournamentruns smoothly.” “We always strive to appoint the most deserving officials for such prestigious events, and we are confident that this group will do an outstanding job in both Pakistan and the UAE. We wish themall the best for a memorable tournament.” he added.The ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 promises to be a thrilling tournament, and these officials will play a crucial role in ensuring a high standard of fairness and integrity throughout the competition.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.