ICC appoints 20/20 match officials

CRICKET: The Internationals cricket Council yesterday announced the umpires and the match referee for the inaugural ICC World Twenty 20 championships which will be staged in South Africa in September.

A total of three ICC match referees and nine umpires will officiate during the 27-match event, which is scheduled to take place from 11 - 24 September. The three referees all come from the Emirates Elite Panel and include the head of the group, former Sri Lanka captain Ranjan Madugalle.

The other referees appointed are Mike Procter, the former South Africa all-rounder and Proteas' cricket manager, and ex-England opening batsman Chris Broad.

The nine umpires set to stand in the tournament include five officials from the Emirates Elite Panel - Mark Benson, Billy Doctrove, Daryl Harper, Asad Rauf and Simon Taufel.

The four other umpires are all from the Emirates International Panel - Steve Davis, Ian Howell, Nigel Llong and Tony Hill.

The match appointments of the officials for the opening stage of the tournament will be made and announced in due course.

The ICC World Twenty 20 South Africa 2007 involves the ten ICC Full Members and two Associate teams, Kenya and Scotland, and will be held at three venues - Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.