Is Richard Kettleborough among the umpires named for the India vs South Africa 2024 T20 World Cup final?
Richard Kettleborough, the experienced international umpire from England, has not exactly been a lucky mascot for India in ICC knockout matches. On the contrary, the Men in Blue have lost all ICC knockout games that he has officiated in over the last decade or so.
Kettleborough was one of the on-field umpires when India went down to Sri Lanka in the 2014 T20 World Cup final. The tradition, if one may call it so, continued as they lost to Australia in the 2015 ODI World Cup semifinal, West Indies in the 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal, Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final and New Zealand in the 2019 ODI World Cup semifinal.
The 51-year-old was also on the park for the India vs Australia 2023 ODI World Cup final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on November 19 - an agonizingly painful night for Team India and its fans. Further, he was the TV umpire in the World Test Championship (WTC) finals in 2021 and 2023.
Indian fans might be wondering whether the Yorkshire-born umpire is on the list of match officials named by the ICC for the 2024 T20 World Cup final between the Men in Blue and South Africa in Barbados on Saturday, June 29. Well, there is some good news and some [potential] bad news.
Kettleborough will not be among the on-field umpires for the India-South Africa final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados. Chris Gaffaney and Richard Illingworth have been named as the on-field umpires. Kettleborough's name features in the list as the TV umpire.
Further, Rod Tucker has been named as the fourth umpire, while West Indies legend Richie Richardson would be the referee.
Richard Kettleborough's career stats as a cricketer
Before taking to umpiring, Kettleborough was a left-handed top-order batter and a part-time seamer, who represented Yorkshire and Middlesex. His first-class career spanned from 1994-1999 during which he played 33 first-class matches, scoring 1258 at an average of 25.16, with one hundred and seven fifties. With the ball, he claimed three scalps at an average of 81.
The cricketer-turned-umpire also featured in 21 List A games in which he scored 290 runs at an average of 24.16 with one half-century. With the ball in hand, he picked up six wickets at an average of 38.33 and an economy rate of 5.11.