Srinath to make World Cup debut as match referee

Dubai, Mar 2 (UNI) Former India speedster Javagal Srinath will make his World Cup debut as match refree when he officiates in a Group stage match between Australia and Scotland in St Kitts and Nevis on March 14.

Srinath was today named in the seven-member match refree panel announced by the ICC along with a list of 16 umpires to officiate in the group stage of the showpiece event in the West Indies.

The 37-year-old Indian who featured in four World Cups as player from 1992 to 2003, will stand in two other Group I matches -- Australia VS Netherlands on March 18 and Scotland VS Netherlands on Match 22.

Group I comprises Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland and South Africa.

Srinath who played 229 ODIs between 1991 and 2003, made his debut as ODI match refree in the match between New Zealand and Sri Lanka at Napier on December 28 last year and has since then stood in 10 ODIs, the last being on January 24 this year between Kenya and Canada in Mombasa.

He had also stood in four Tests between July (Sri Lanka VS South Africa at Colombo) and December last year (New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Wellington).

Two-time Word Cup winning captain Clive Lloyd was the only omission from the eight-member Emirates Elite Panel of ICC match referees as he has taken up his assigmrent as West Indies team manager.

Meanwhile, South African Rudi Koertzen will close in David Shepherd's record of most ODI appearances by an umpire and after the three group matches he is due to stand, Koertzen will take his tally to 166 matches, just six short of Shepherd's mark.

Shepherd's retirement in 2005 also meant that at least one umpire makes his first appearance in a World Cup final. Shepherd and West Indian Steve Bucknor stood in the last three finals in 1996, 1999 and 2003.

Bucknor, who is third on the list of all-time ODI matches umpired and who will be standing in his fifth ICC World Cup, will read the officials' oath on behalf of all umpires and match referees at the opening ceremony, in his native Jamaica on March 11.

Of the 16 field umpires, nine were from the Emirates Elite Panel and seven from the Emirates International Panel.

Commenting on the appointments, ICC General Manager David Richardson said, ''We are delighted to appoint these match referees and umpires to stand in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 and once again welcome HDIL as the official sponsor of the officials at this event.'' ''Further strong showings by International Panel members could place those officials in with a chance to stand in the latter stages of the tournament as well as making a case for their promotion to the Elite Panel in the future.

Each of the field umpires will also stand in two warm-up matches.

The field umpires and match referees of the Super eight stage will be announced later, an ICC statement said.

Field Umpires: Mark Benson, Brent Bowden, Steve Bucknor, Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Billy Doctrove, Ian Gould, Daryl Harper, Tony Hill, Ian Howell, Brian Jerling, Rudi Koertzen, Peter Parker, Asad Rauf, Asoka de Silva, Simon Taufel Match Referees: Chris Broad, Jeff Crowe, Alan Hurst, Ranjan Madugalle, Roshan Mahanama, Javagal Srinath, Mike Procter India will play all their three group matches at Queen's Park Oval at Port-of-Spain.

Following are the officials of the matches involving India.

March 17: India VS Bangladesh Match Referee: Alan Hurst Umpires: Dar and Davis; Third Umpire: Howell; Fourth Umpire: Harper March 19: India VS Bermuda Match Referee: Hurst Umpires: Dar and Howell; Third Umpire: Harper; Fourth Umpire: Davis March 23: India VS Sri Lanka Match Referee: Crowe Umpires: Dar and Harper; Third Umpire: Davis; Fourth Umpire: Howell MORE UNI XC PDS SCC KP1720