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India's only representative in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, Nitin Menon, has opted out of officiating in the Champions Trophy in Pakistan this month due to personal reasons. The ICC on Wednesday announced a list of 15 match officials, including three match referees and 12 umpires for the marquee tournament, scheduled to commence in Karachi on February 19 with the final on March 9.
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.
The event will be held at three venues in Pakistan -- Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi --, while India will play all their matches in Dubai, starting with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20, owing to security concerns.
"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 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.
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." Kettleborough and Illingworth, who both stood together during the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, will be joined by Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson. All of them officiated at the World Cup in India.
ICC's senior manager (umpires and referees), Sean Easey, said the extensive experience of the match officials will provide high-quality games.
"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 them all the best for a memorable tournament," he said.
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.