The line-up of match officials for the 2024 ICC U-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, set to take place in South Africa from January 19 to February 11, was released today by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The tournament will be officiated by a skilled group of 16 umpires, which includes two Bangladeshi umpires, Gazi Sohel and Masudur Rahman Mukul, and four match referees. Together, these officials will supervise 41 matches featuring the world’s top young cricket players.
Combine The official appointments for the first group stage matches have already been revealed. The first match between hosts South Africa and West Indies, another past U19 champion country, will be supervised 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 in 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’ first 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 from Australia and Nigel Duguid from the West Indies will oversee that match, with Langton Rusere from Zimbabwe serving as the Fourth Umpire, Allahudien Palekar from South Africa serving as the TV Umpire, and Shaid Wadvalla 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 present at the U19 Men’s CWC.
In addition to Jele, K.N.A. Padmanabhan of India will officiate the inaugural East London match against Pakistan and Afghanistan. The match will be officiated by India’s Narayanan Kutty, with Phil Gillespie from Australia and Forster Mutizwa from Zimbabwe serving as TV and Fourth umpires, respectively.
On January 21, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka will play their first match in 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 Online Media Zone, a calendar of Match Official appointments for group stage matches is available. Appointments for further stages will be provided when they are confirmed.
“The U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a very important event in the ICC calendar,” stated Sean Easey, ICC Manager of Umpires and Referees, in remarks on the announcement of Match Officials for the tournament. It has long been seen as a stage for the sport’s rising stars to establish themselves, and for many of the players taking part in this year’s competition, it’s their first taste of playing internationally.
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 well since they are a determined and varied group. I send them my warmest wishes for a successful stay in South Africa.”
Umpires: Bismillah Phil Gillespie, Gazi Sohel, Jan Shinwari, Donovan Koch, Phil Gillespie, 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
Wayne Noon, Narayanan Kutty, Shaid Wadvalla, and Graeme Labrooy officiated the match.