The ICC has announced the match officials for the WTC Finals, where two Indians, Javagal Srinath and Nitin Menon, will be playing pivotal roles in the summit clash at Lord’s.
Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney and England’s Richard Illingworth will serve as on-field umpires, Javagal Srinath will be the match referee, while Nitin Menon will serve as the Fourth umpire.
Srinath, one of the most respected figures among ICC match referees and a familiar name in Indian cricket, will oversee proceedings as the match referee. Meanwhile, Nitin Menon will be making his debut appearance in a WTC final. He has also served as a TV umpire in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Final in 2021.
On the other hand, Richard Illingworth will be making history in the ultimate test, having stood as an on-field umpire for all the three WTC finals. He has been part of officiating team in 2021 and 2023 finals, and continues his consistent presence in marquee Test matches.
He also been named as the Umpire of the year in ICC awards 2024, having won David Shepherd Trophy for the fourth time.
Gaffaney has partnered with Illingworth in officiating last year’s Men’s T20 World Cup final and also officiated in the WTC 2023 finals between India and Australia.
ICC chairman Jay Shah has discussed about the experience and merit of the appointed officials and expressed confidence in their performance.
“We are pleased to announce an experienced team of match officials for the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, marking the culmination of a highly competitive two-year cycle of Test matches played around the world,” Shah said in an ICC release.
“We strive to select the most qualified and deserving officials for all matches, and we are confident they will perform admirably. On behalf of the ICC, I wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this assignment,” conclude Jay Shah.
