(Image Source: ICC)
[Saba Sports News] The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled the team of Match Officials for the upcoming ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, to be held in South Africa from January 19 to February 11. This team comprises 16 Umpires and four Match Referees, who will oversee 41 matches showcasing the world’s most promising young cricketers.
The officials for the initial group stage games have been announced, starting with the opener in Potchefstroom on January 19, where South Africa faces West Indies. Ireland’s Roland Black and Bangladesh’s Gazi Sohel will umpire this match, with Black marking his third U19 CWC and Sohel bringing experience since 2012. Graeme Labrooy, a former Sri Lankan international, will be the Match Referee, his sixth time at this event. The TV Umpire will be Rashid Riaz Waqar from Pakistan, and Afghanistan’s Bismillah Jan Shinwari will serve as the Fourth Umpire.
On January 20, in Bloemfontein, reigning champions India will play against Bangladesh, reminiscent of the 2020 final. This match will be overseen by Donovan Koch from Australia and Nigel Duguid from West Indies, with Zimbabwe’s Langton Rusere as Fourth Umpire. South Africans Allahudien Palekar (TV Umpire) and Shaid Wadvalla (Match Referee) complete the official lineup.
Bongani Jele and K.N.A. Padmanabhan from India will be on-field umpires for Pakistan versus Afghanistan in East London, with India’s Narayanan Kutty as Match Referee. Australia’s Phil Gillespie and Zimbabwe’s Forster Mutizwa will serve as TV and Fourth Umpire, respectively.
The Sri Lanka-Zimbabwe match on January 21 in Kimberley will see Mike Burns and Patrick Gustard as on-field umpires. Bangladesh’s Masudur Rahman Mukul and Pakistan’s Faisal Khan Afridi will be the TV and Fourth Umpire, respectively, and England’s Wayne Noon will be the Match Referee.
Sean Easey, ICC Manager – Umpires and Referees, emphasized the event’s significance in nurturing upcoming cricket talents and developing umpires. He expressed confidence in the diverse and motivated team of officials appointed for this event in South Africa.
The complete list of Match Officials for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 includes 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, Forster Mutizwa, and Match Referees Graeme Labrooy, Shaid Wadvalla, Narayanan Kutty, Wayne Noon.