Cricket Australia introduces a game-changing ranking-based system for umpires

Cricket Australia (CA) has taken a massive step forward for the umpires. The governing body will be ranking the match officials, who will be part of the newly expanded panel. Based on the merit, the best umpires will be rewarded with a greater number of matches.

Cricket Australia has formed an 18-member Umpires Panel which is kept in in a freshly inked three-year Memorandum of Understanding finalised by the governing body along with the representative body Umpire Leadership Group.

The umpires in the panel will be rated on their past performances and projected potential. The umpires will also be getting additional bonuses if they get appointed to officiate in finals of the domestic, KFC BBL, and Weber WBBL competitions.

The higher-ranked umpires are now expected to officiate in more matches as recognition of their performance. Previously there was a workload management for the umpires across Australia's domestic competitions.

Shawn Craig, one of four umpires on the CA International Panel announced today and a member of the Umpire Leadership Group, talked about the new system, saying that it allows flexibility and allows umpires to serve cricket accordingly. He explained:

"It allows flexibility in changing appointments, and modifying appointments so that the most appropriate umpires get the most appropriate games. Let's say umpiring appointments have been made for the final home-and-away rounds of the Sheffield Shield competition, but then it turns out you have your best-ranked umpires down to officiate in a game that's effectively a dead rubber.

"Meanwhile, a corresponding top-of-the-table match might have umpires already appointed who perhaps might not be the highest ranked. This changes all that and allows the best umpires to be umpiring more and servicing cricket accordingly. We have moved to a ranking model that is based on performance which will reward performance. It doesn't alter the way we're assessed for performance, it just provides everyone with more flexibility and the ability for people to be more nimble."

The new Contracted Umpire Panel will be replacing the previous 12-person National Umpire Panel as well as the six-member Supplementary Umpire Panel. The Panel also includes female umpires Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan. The duo created history when they officiate at Sheffield Shield level.

Chairman of the Cricket Australia Umpire Selection Panel Damien Mealey also talked about the development, saying that it will endorse umpiring talent within Australian cricket. He stated:

"The quality of the panel is an endorsement of the outstanding umpiring talent within Australian cricket. The selection panel is encouraged by the emergence of new umpires developing across all States and Territories, which has resulted in several first-class debuts placing match officiating in a very strong position moving forward. 

"I would especially like to congratulate Daryl Brigham and Roberto Howard on their elevation to the Umpire Panel, which has been well earned after strong performances over several seasons."

Cricket Australia Contracted Umpires Panel

Here's Cricket Australia Contracted Umpires Panel for 2024-25

Gerard Abood, Daryl Brigham, Shawn Craig, Drew Crozier, Greg Davidson, Stephen Dionysius, Phil Gillespie, Mike Graham-Smith, Roberto Howard, Donovan Koch, Simon Lightbody, Sam Nogajski, Sharad Patel, Troy Penman, Claire Polosak, Eloise Sheridan, David Taylor, Ben Treloar

2023-24 Cricket Australia International Panel Umpires (nominated to ICC as umpires for Men's International matches)

Shawn Craig, Phil Gillespie, Donovan Koch, Sam Nogajski