A list of 15 match officials for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, which begins on February 19, was released by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
From February 19 to March 9, the competition will be held at four legendary locations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. According to ICC, the eight-team competition would be officiated by a prestigious panel of twelve umpires.
Six officials from the 2017 tournament are returning, including Richard Kettleborough, who competed in the UK’s previous Champions Trophy final. Other umpires Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker, who also officiated in the 2017 tournament, will accompany Kettleborough, a veteran of 108 Men’s ODIs.
At the forthcoming tournament, Dharmasena will continue to officiate 132 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), setting a record for a Sri Lankan umpire.
Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson are among the officials who officiated at the World Cup in India, along with Kettleborough and Illingworth, who stood together during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad.
David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft—all distinguished members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees—will serve as the panel’s leaders. Madugalle returned from officiating the 2013 final, Boon officiated the 2017 Champions Trophy final, and Pycroft participated in the 2017 competition.
Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, commented as quoted by ICC:
“We are pleased to announce this highly credentialed team of match officials for the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. Their collective expertise and experience will be invaluable in ensuring the tournament runs smoothly.”
“We always strive to appoint the most deserving officials for such prestigious events, and we are confident that this group will do an outstanding job in both Pakistan and the UAE. We wish them all the best for a memorable tournament.” he also added.
Match Officials: Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson.