Dubai, 16 July 2008
The ICC today announced details of umpire and match referee appointments for the upcoming Test and ODI series between Sri Lanka and India.
The three-Test series will be overseen by Alan Hurst of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees. The series opener at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo, which gets underway on 23 July, will be officiated by Mark Benson and Billy Doctrove of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.
Doctrove will be joined by Rudi Koertzen also of the Elite Panel for the second Test in Galle that begins on 31 July. Benson and Koertzen will stand in the third and final Test starting at the R.Premadasa Stadium in Colombo starting on 8 August.
The series will see the umpire decision review system trialed with Koertzen the TV umpire in the first Test while Benson and Doctrove will fill the role in the second and third Tests respectively.
The system will see the fielding and batting sides allowed three unsuccessful appeals to the umpire per innings to change a decision if it is perceived to have been incorrect.
These appeals can be made only by the batsman in receipt of the umpire’s original decision or the captain of the fielding side, in both cases by the player making a “T” sign with both forearms at shoulder height.
The on-field umpire will consult with the TV umpire, who will review available television coverage of the incident before relaying fact-based information back to his colleague.
The on-field umpire will then deliver his decision either by raising his finger to indicate “out” or by crossing his hands in a horizontal position side to side in front and above his waist three times – as per a “safe” decision by an official in baseball.
At the conclusion of the Test series, Hurst will hand over to Chris Board, also of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees, for the ODI series that runs from 18 – 29 July to be umpired by Doctrove and Sri Lanka Cricket local appointees.
Please note: The umpire decision review system trial will apply to the Test series only and will not be in place for the ODI series that follows.
Test series match referee – Alan Hurst
23-27 July – Sri Lanka v India, SSC, Colombo – Mark Benson and Billy Doctrove, TV Umpire - Rudi Koertzen
31 July-4 August – Sri Lanka v India, Galle – Billy Doctrove, Rudi Koertzen, TV Umpire - Mark Benson
8-12 August – Sri Lanka v India, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo – Rudi Koertzen and Mark Benson, TV Umpire – Billy Doctrove
ODI series match referee – Chris Broad
18 August – Sri Lanka v India, Dambulla – Billy Doctrove and local appointment
20 August - Sri Lanka v India, Dambulla – Billy Doctrove and local appointment
24 August - Sri Lanka v India, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo – Billy Doctrove and local appointment
26 August - Sri Lanka v India, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo – Billy Doctrove and local appointment
29 August - Sri Lanka v India, R.Premadasa Stadium, Colombo – Billy Doctrove and local appointment
ICC MEDIA RELEASE