KN Ananthapadmanabhan promoted to ICC's international panel of umpires

Former Kerala legspinner KN Ananthapadmanabhan has been promoted to the ICC's international panel of umpires. Ananthapadmanabhan will be the fourth Indian umpire on the international panel and fills the vacancy created by Nitin Menon's move to the ICC Elite Panel.

The other three Indians on the international panel are C Shamshuddin, Anil Chaudhary and Virender Sharma.

Ananthapadmanabhan has officiated in nearly every domestic tournament in India, including the IPL, an England Lions match, and Women's List A and T20 games.

Before moving into umpiring, Ananthapadmanabhan played 105 first-class matches for Kerala, starting in 1988-89, and represented them until 2003-04. He was the first player from his state to achieve the double of 2000 runs and 200 wickets in the Ranji Trophy, and was briefly in the reckoning for an India cap. Playing for India A against the visiting Australians in 1998, he took the wickets of Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann.