Venkataraghavan, Harper to officiate in opener

Umpires Daryl Harper of Australia and Indian Srinivas Venkataraghavan will officiate in the opening encounter of the 2003 World Cup between hosts South Africa and two-time former champions West Indies on Sunday.

According to the postings announced by International Cricket Council (ICC), Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle has been nominated as the match referee and Peter Willey of England as TV umpire for the day/night clash at Newlands in Cape Town.

Meanwhile, David Shepherd and Asoka de Silva will supervised the much-awaited confrontation between holders Australia and the 1999 World Cup runners-up Pakistan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday. Brent Bowden is the TV umpire and Clive Lloyd the match referee.

The clash between traditional rivals Pakistan and India will be umpired by Shepherd and Rudi Koertzen with Bowden monitoring TV replays and Mike Procter, the former South African all-rounder, as the match referee.

ICC has announced match officials of the 42 preliminary round fixtures while nominations for the remaining 12 games - nine Super Six ties, the semifinals and final - will be made later.

Following are nominations of match officials for the preliminary round:

Feb 9: South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town (D/N). Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and S. Venkataraghavan (India). TV umpire: P. Willey (England). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 10: Zimbabwe v Namibia at Harare. Umpires: D.L. Orchard (South Africa) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia). TV umpire: D.B. Hair (Australia). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 10: Sri Lanka v New Zealand at Bloemfontein. Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and N.A. Mallender (England). TV umpire: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 11: Australia v Pakistan at Johannesburg. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd (England) and E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

Feb 11: Bangladesh v Canada at Durban (D/N). Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and B.G. Jerling (South Africa). TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash (India). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 12: South Africa v Kenya at Potchefstroom. Umpires: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe) and T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: N.A. Mallender (England). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 12: India v Holland at Paarl. Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and P. Willey (England). TV umpire: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan). Match referee: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).

Feb 13: Zimbabwe v England at Harare. Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and D.L. Orchard (South Africa). TV umpire: S.J.A. Taufel (Australia). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 13: West Indies v New Zealand at Port Elizabeth. Umpires: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and D.B. Hair (Australia). TV umpire: S. Venkataraghavan (India). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 14: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh at Pietermaritzburg. Umpires: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe) and B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 15: Australia v India at Centurion. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd (England) and E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: B.G. Jerling (South Africa). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

Feb 15: Kenya v Canada at Cape Town (D/N). Umpires: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan) and A.V. Jayaprakash (India). TV umpire: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 16: South Africa v New Zealand at Johannesburg. Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and P. Willey (England). TV umpire: D.J. Harper (Australia). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 16: England v Holland at East London. Umpires: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and D.B. Hair (Australia). TV umpire: T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 16: Pakistan v Namibia at Kimberley. Umpires: D.L. Orchard (South Africa) and N.A. Mallender (England). TV umpire: S.J.A. Taufel (Australia). Match referee: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).

Feb 18: West Indies v Bangladesh at Benoni. Umpires: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe) and B.G. Jerling (South Africa). TV umpire: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 19: England v Namibia at Port Elizabeth. Umpires: S. Venkataraghavan (India) and S.J.A Taufel (Australia). TV umpire: Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 19: Sri Lanka v Canada at Paarl. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd and N.A. Mallender (both England). TV umpire: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 19: Zimbabwe v India at Harare. Umpires: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: D.B. Hair (Australia). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

Feb 20: Australia v Holland at Potchefstroom. Umpires: D.L. Orchard (South Africa) and P. Willey (England). TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 21: Kenya v New Zealand at Nairobi. Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe). TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash (India). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 22: England v Pakistan at Cape Town (D/N). Umpires: R.E. Koertzen and B.G. Jerling (both from South Africa). TV umpire: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 22: South Africa v Bangladesh at Bloemfontein. Umpires: S. Venkataraghavan (India) and B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). TV umpire: T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

Feb 23: West Indies v Canada at Centurion. Umpires: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka) and D.B. Hair (Australia). Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 23: India v Namibia at Pietermaritzburg. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd (England) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan). TV umpire: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 24: Zimbabwe v Australia at Bulawayo. Umpires: D.L. Orchard (South Africa) and P. Willey (England). TV umpire: N.A. Mallender (England). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 24: Kenya v Sri Lanka at Nairobi. Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe). TV umpire: A.V. Jayaprakash (India). Match referee: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).

Feb 25: Pakistan v Holland at Paarl. Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and S. Venkataraghavan (India). TV umpire: T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

Feb 26: England v India at Durban (D/N). Umpires: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia). TV umpire: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Feb 26: New Zealand v Bangladesh at Kimberley. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd (England) and D.B. Hair (Australia). TV umpire: B.G. Jerling (South Africa). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

Feb 27: South Africa v Canada at East London. Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe). TV umpire: Aleem Dar (Pakistan). Match: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

Feb 27: Australia v Namibia at Potchefstroom. Umpires: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe) and B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). TV umpire: N.A. Mallender (England). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

Feb 28: West Indies v Sri Lanka at Cape Town (D/N). Umpires: D.L. Orchard (South Africa) and S. Venkataraghavan (India). TV umpire: B.G. Jerling (South Africa). Match referee: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).

Feb 28: Zimbabwe v Holland at Bulawayo. Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: P. Willey (England). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

March 1: Pakistan v India at Centurion. Umpires: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa) and D.R. Shepherd (England). TV umpire: B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

March 1: Bangladesh v Kenya at Johannesburg. Umpires: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka) and N.A. Mallender (England). TV umpire: S.J.A. Taufel (Australia). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

March 2: Australia v England at Port Elizabeth. Umpires: R.B. Tiffin (Zimbabwe) and Aleem Dar (Pakistan). TV umpire: D.L. Orchard (South Africa). Match referee: Wasim Raja (Pakistan).

March 3: New Zealand v Canada at Benoni. Umpires: A.V. Jayaprakash (India) and B.G. Jerling (South Africa). TV umpire: T.H. Wijewardena (Sri Lanka). Match referee: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).

March 3: Holland v Namibia at Bloemfontein. Umpires: D.J. Harper (Australia) and Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan). TV umpire: D.B. Hair (Australia). Match referee: G.R. Viswanath (India).

March 3: South Africa v Sri Lanka at Durban (D/N). Umpires: S.A. Bucknor (West Indies) and S. Venkataraghavan (India). TV umpire: P. Willey (England). Match referee: C.H. Lloyd (West Indies).

March 4: West Indies v Kenya at Kimberley. Umpires: D.R. Shepherd (England) and S.J. Taufel (Australia). TV umpire: K.C. Barbour (Zimbabwe). Match referee: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

March 4: Zimbabwe v Pakistan at Bulawayo. Umpires: E.A.R. de Silva (Sri Lanka) and B.F. Bowden (New Zealand). TV umpire: R.E. Koertzen (South Africa). Match referee: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).