The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match officials for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, which will be held in India from February 9 to March 26. The opening match of the tournament will see hosts India take on New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on February 9. The match will be officiated by Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon, two of the most experienced umpires in the world.
Dharmasena and Menon: A formidable pair
Kumar Dharmasena and Nitin Menon are no strangers to each other, as they have officiated together in several high-profile matches in the past. They were the on-field umpires for the final of the ICC World Test Championship 2021, which was also played between India and New Zealand at Southampton. They also stood together in the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, where New Zealand defeated India by 18 runs at Manchester.
Dharmasena, a former Sri Lankan cricketer, has been an ICC Elite Panel umpire since 2011. He has officiated in 69 Tests, 151 ODIs and 22 T20Is so far. He was named the ICC Umpire of the Year in 2012 and 2018. He was also the on-field umpire for the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and 2015.
Menon, a former Indian cricketer, has been an ICC Elite Panel umpire since 2020. He has officiated in 10 Tests, 24 ODIs and 16 T20Is so far. He became the youngest Indian umpire to stand in a Test match when he officiated in the Afghanistan vs West Indies Test at Lucknow in 2019. He was also the only Indian umpire to officiate in the IPL 2020, which was held in the UAE.
Other match officials for the opening match
The other match officials for the opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 are:
- Third umpire: Richard Illingworth (England)
- Fourth umpire: Anil Chaudhary (India)
- Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)
Richard Illingworth is an ICC Elite Panel umpire since 2013. He has officiated in 34 Tests, 64 ODIs and 26 T20Is so far. He was also the third umpire for the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, where England beat New Zealand on boundary count after a tied Super Over.
Anil Chaudhary is an ICC International Panel umpire since 2013. He has officiated in one Test, 20 ODIs and 27 T20Is so far. He was also one of the Indian umpires who officiated in the IPL 2020.
Ranjan Madugalle is an ICC Elite Panel match referee since 1994. He has overseen 200 Tests, 356 ODIs and 89 T20Is so far. He is the most experienced match referee in the history of cricket. He was also the match referee for the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 and 2015.
A historic occasion for India
The opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be a historic occasion for India, as they will host the tournament for the fourth time. India had previously hosted the tournament in 1987, 1996 and 2011. India had won the tournament twice, in 1983 and 2011, both times on home soil.
India will be hoping to repeat their success in front of their home crowd, as they have a strong and balanced squad led by Virat Kohli. India have been placed in Group A along with New Zealand, Afghanistan, Scotland, Papua New Guinea and a qualifier team.
New Zealand will be looking to challenge India’s dominance, as they have been one of the most consistent teams in recent years. New Zealand have reached the final of the last two editions of the ICC Cricket World Cup, but lost both times to Australia and England respectively. New Zealand have a formidable squad led by Kane Williamson, who is also the captain of the ICC World Test Championship winning team.
The opening match of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 will be a thrilling contest between two of the best teams in world cricket. The match will also showcase some of the finest umpires and match officials in the game.
