After Umpire Nitin Menon, Only Indian ICC Elite Match Referee Gives Champions Trophy 2025 In Pakistan A Miss
NDTV
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced a list of 15 match officials, including three match referees and 12 umpires for the Champions Trophy 2025
The match officials' list for the Champions Trophy 2025 is out. The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced a list of 15 match officials, including three match referees and 12 umpires for the Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to commence in Karachi on February 19 with the final on March 9. The event will be held at three venues in Pakistan - Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi - while India will play all its matches (including semi-final and final if it qualifies) in Dubai, starting with a clash against Bangladesh on February 20.
However, the tournament will have no Indian match official. India pace great Javagal Srinath is the only Indian in the ICC Elite panel of match referees, while Nitin Menon is the lone Indian in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires.
"The ICC wanted to put him (Menon) on the Champions Trophy roster. But he decided against travelling to Pakistan due to personal reasons," a BCCI source told news agency PTI.
Menon could not have stood in the matches in Dubai as the ICC follows the policy of appointing neutral umpires. The world body did not comment on Menon in its statement to unveil the list of officials.
