IND Vs NZ: Who Will Be The Umpires In Semi Final Match Of World Cup 2023? ICC Lifts The Lid

Australia’s Rod Tucker and England’s Richard Illingworth are assigned the task of being the on-field umpires for the upcoming first semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. West Indies’ Joel Wilson is assigned to be the third umpire for the knockout fixture, while Andy Pycroft and Adrian Holdstock will serve as the match referee and fourth umpire, respectively.

Richard Kettleborough, who officiated the iconic India Vs New Zealand semi-final contest at the 2019 ICC World Cup, has been assigned to be the on-field umpire for the clash between South Africa and Australia at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. India’s Nitin Menon will also serve in the same capacity alongside Kettleborough in the semi-final contest.

Chris Gaffaney is going to be the third umpire assigned for the clash between Australia and South Africa, while Michael Gough and Javagal Srinath will be serving as the fourth umpire and match referee, respectively.

The ICC Manager of Umpires and Referees Sean Easey said, “We are happy to announce the match officials for the semifinals of the World Cup. The officiating team has performed to a high standard to this point of the event, and I wish those in the knockouts all the very best.”

“I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Rod and Richard for their milestones during this World Cup. Such achievements are only earned via consistently strong performances which is a credit to each of them,” he added.

ICC Is Yet To Announce Officials For The Finals

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 has witnessed the end of the round-robin league stage comprising 45 matches, and the top four teams in the points table have progressed to the semi-finals. The final is set to be hosted at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The ICC is yet to announce the list of match officials for the final clash.

The umpires have had some tough decisions to make around the tournament, especially surrounding LBWs, considering the infamous umpire’s call rule. Some of the teams, especially Australia, have been handed some tough calls over the course of the round-robin league.

Angelo Mathews’ timed-out dismissal was yet another complicated appeal to handle, with the ‘Spirit of Cricket’ debate clashing with the rule book yet again. The umpires had to clarify the situation and provide their reasoning behind giving in to Shakib Al Hasan’s appeal.

Officiating in the semi-finals or knockouts cannot possibly be considered a straightforward task, considering the speculations of each decision made – whether right or wrong. The first semi-final between India and New Zealand will be especially a huge challenge since the hosts, India mark their presence and are bound to have the entire crowd behind them.