Kolkata: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has confirmed the match officials for the knockout stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup as the tournament enters its semi-final phase.
Elite referees and umpires from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel will oversee the crucial encounters to ensure smooth and fair conduct of the matches.
The first semi-final, featuring South Africa and New Zealand, will be played on Wednesday, March 4, at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Richard Illingworth and Alex Wharf have been appointed as the on-field umpires. Illingworth previously officiated South Africa’s semi-final against Afghanistan in the last T20 World Cup, while Wharf stood in New Zealand’s group-stage win over the same opponents in this edition.
Nitin Menon will serve as the third umpire, Rod Tucker as the fourth umpire, and Javagal Srinath has been named match referee for the contest.
The second semi-final will take place on Thursday, March 5, at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where co-hosts India will take on England. Chris Gaffaney and Allahuddien Paleker have been appointed as the on-field umpires. Gaffaney officiated when the two sides met in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, while Paleker has overseen several games in the ongoing tournament, including England’s fixtures and India’s win over the Netherlands.
Adrian Holdstock will act as the third umpire, Paul Reiffel as the fourth umpire, and Andy Pycroft has been assigned the role of match referee.
With experienced officials in charge, the ICC aims to maintain consistency and uphold the integrity of the high-pressure knockout matches as India seek to defend their title and chase a third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup crown.