ICC announces umpire and match referee appointments for upcoming Test and ODI series

The ICC today announced umpire and match referee appointments for upcoming Test and ODI series.

The appointments cover the seven-match ODI series between the West Indies and Zimbabwe starting on Saturday 29 April, the ODI and Test series between the Caribbean side and India and the three-Test series between England and Sri Lanka that begins on 11 May.

Former England batsman Chris Broad from the Emirates Elite Panel of match referees will officiate in the West Indies - Zimbabwe ODI series and Billy Bowden, a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of umpires, will stand in each match as the ICC appointee in the middle alongside officials chosen by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Jeff Crowe, the former New Zealand captain and batsman, will then take over from Broad as match referee for the five ODIs and four Tests to be played between the West Indies and India, beginning on 18 May.

The ODIs will take place first with Asad Rauf, recently elevated to the Emirates Elite Panel of umpires, standing in the first three matches and Simon Taufel, voted Umpire of the Year at the last two ICC Awards ceremonies, stepping in for the final two games of the series. Both umpires will stand with WICB appointees.

Taufel and Rauf will then stand together in the first two Tests of the series, in Antigua (starting on 2 June) and St. Kitts (starting on 10 June), before they are replaced by the South African duo of Rudi Koertzen (another member of the Emirates Elite Panel) and Emirates International Panel official Brian Jerling.

Ex-Australia fast bowler Alan Hurst, like Broad and Crowe a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of match referees, will officiate in the England - Sri Lanka Test series.

Koertzen will stand in the first Test at Lord's (starting on 11 May) and the last match at Trent Bridge (set to get underway on 2 June) ahead of his trip to the Caribbean. He will be joined in both matches by Emirates Elite Panel colleagues with Aleem Dar officiating alongside him at Lord's and Darrell Hair standing at Trent Bridge.

Dar and Hair will stand together for the second Test of the series, at Edgbaston, starting on 25 May.

Further appointments will be made and announced in due course and for more details of ICC umpires and match referees can be found at the ICC website.