ISLAMABAD: The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024, which will take place in South Africa from January 19 to February 11, is scheduled to take place. The International Cricket Council (ICC) released the list of match officials on Wednesday.
The world’s top young cricket players will compete in 41 matches, which will be officiated by an experienced panel of 16 umpires and four match referees, according to a press statement from the ICC.
The appointments of match officials for the first group stage matches have already been finalized. The opening match between hosts South Africa and West Indies, another past U19 champion nation, will be handled by a skilled staff on January 19 in Potchefstroom.
Gazi Sohel (Bangladesh) and Roland Black (Ireland) will officiate the game on the field. Black has officiated in three U19 Men’s CWCs, and Sohel has been involved in international competitions since 2012.
For the sixth time at the renowned tournament, Graeme Labrooy, a former cricket player for Sri Lanka, will officiate the match.
TV Umpire Rashid Riaz Waqar of Pakistan and Fourth Umpire Bismillah Jan Shinwari of Afghanistan will round up the officials for the hosts’ opening game.
In a rematch of the thrilling 2020 championship match, India, the reigning champions, will take versus Bangladesh in Bloemfontein on January 20.
Donovan Koch of Australia and Nigel Duguid of the West Indies will oversee that match, with Langton Rusere of Zimbabwe serving as the Fourth Umpire, Allahudien Palekar of South Africa serving as the TV Umpire, and Shaid Wadvalla of Zimbabwe serving as the Match Referee.
Palekar and Bongani Jele, two umpires from the host country who have both had successful international careers spanning more than ten years, will be competing at the U19 Men’s CWC.
Jele will be joined by India’s K.N.A. Padmanabhan as on-field umpires for the opening East London fixture between Pakistan and Afghanistan. For the tie, Australia’s Phil Gillespie and Zimbabwe’s Forster Mutizwa will serve as TV umpire and fourth umpire, respectively, with India’s Narayanan Kutty serving as match referee.
On January 21, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will play their first match at Kimberley. Mike Burns and Patrick Gustard will oversee the game on the field; Masudur Rahman Mukul of Bangladesh will serve as the TV umpire; Faisal Khan Afridi of Pakistan will serve as the Fourth Umpire; and Wayne Noon of England will serve as the Match Referee.
On the ICC’s Online Media Zone, a schedule of Match Official appointments for group stage matches is available.
“The U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a very important event in the ICC calendar,” remarked Sean Easey, Manager of Umpires and Referees at the ICC, in reference to the announcement of match officials at the event. It has traditionally been seen as a stage for aspiring athletes to establish themselves, and for many of the players taking part in this year’s competition, it’s their first taste of international competition.
In a similar vein, it represents a significant milestone in the umpire pathway’s growth. I am sure that the foreign match officials, who have been appointed, will perform superbly since they are a determined and diverse group. I send them my warmest wishes for a successful stay in South Africa.
Match officials at the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024
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
Match Referees: Graeme Labrooy, Shaid Wadvalla, Narayanan Kutty, Wayne Noon.
