Richard Illingworth and Rod Tucker to officiate IND-NZ World Cup semi-final contest; Richard Kettleborough and Nitin Menon allotted 2nd semi
England's Richard Illingworth and Australia's Rod Tucker have been assigned to be the on-field umpires for the upcoming first 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final fixture between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.
West Indies' Joel Wilson will be the third umpire for the knockout fixture, while Adrian Holdstock and Andy Pycroft will serve as the fourth umpire and match referee, respectively.
Richard Kettleborough, who famously officiated the iconic India-New Zealand semi-final contest at the 2019 World Cup, has been assigned to be the on-field umpire for Australia's clash against South Africa at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday. India's Nitin Menon will also serve in the same capacity alongside the English umpire in the semi-final contest.
Chris Gaffaney is the third umpire assigned for the clash, while Michael Gough and Javagal Srinath will serve as the fourth umpire and match referee, respectively.
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.
The 2023 ODI World Cup has witnessed the end of the league stage comprising 45 matches, and the four aforementioned teams have progressed to the semi-finals.
The final is slated to be hosted at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The ICC is yet to announce the list of match officials for the summit clash.
The 2023 ODI World Cup has been a tricky tournament for the umpires
The umpires have had some tough decisions to handle in the tournament, especially surrounding LBWs, considering the infamous umpire's call rule. A number of teams, particularly Australia, have been handed some tough calls over the course of the league stage.
Angelo Mathews' timed-out dismissal was yet another complicated prospect to handle, with the 'Spirit of Cricket' debate entangling with the rule book yet again. The umpires had to clarify the situation and provide their reasoning behind obliging Shakib Al Hasan's appeal.
Officiating in the semi-finals cannot possibly come across as a straightforward task, considering the ramifications of each decision made - whether right or wrong. The first semi-final especially will be a huge challenge since the hosts mark their presence and are bound to have the entire crowd behind them.