The significant reduction in regional cricket in the last contracting period, due to the impact of COVID-19, has resulted in no changes being made to the list of umpires to be offered contracts.
CWI invests annually in the panel of umpires due to their fundamental role in ensuring that the spirit and integrity of cricket is preserved and that the highest possible quality fair play is upheld on the field. Investing in a broader pool of umpires who can be rewarded for their hard work and application in developing their skills is vital for the health of cricket at all levels.
CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said, “I am pleased that even in the midst of our financial constraints, CWI will be re-engaging our senior panel of umpires as we recognize and appreciate their important role within the game. We all hope that there will be increasing amounts of cricket within the region in the months ahead to allow our best umpires to continue their ongoing development.”
The Senior Panel of Umpires being offered retainer contracts is as follows:
CWI’s Senior Panel of Umpires 2021/22: Zahid Bassarath, Johnathan Blades, Gregory Brathwaite, Deighton Butler, Nigel Duguid, Patrick Gustard, Danesh Ramdhanie, Leslie Reifer, Verdayne Smith, Christopher Taylor, Carl Tuckett, Jacqueline Williams and Christopher Wright.
During the recent International Home Series between West Indies and Sri Lanka, for the first time, all match officials were of Caribbean origin, due to the ICC temporarily permitting the appointment of locally-based match officials from the Emirates Elite Panel of Match Officials and the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Officials. This was due to the logistics challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One very positive outcome was for Barbadian and West Indies Umpire, Gregory Brathwaite, to officiate in his first Test Match.
Both Duguid and Gustard are among 16 officials that will stand in games during the youth showpiece which will be played across five venues.
Duguid, 54, has already stood in one Test 15 One-Day Internationals and 44 Twenty20 Internationals, while featuring as television umpire in 36 men’s senior internationals. He will be involved in the January 20 contest between reigning champions India and Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, Gustard, 52, has never stood in a Test nor a men’s ODI, but has officiated in 29 T20 Internationals and served as TV official in further nine. The Jamaican will join Mick Burns on field for the January 21 encounter between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe.
Sean Easey, ICC’s manager for Umpires and Referees said the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a very important event in the ICC calendar for both players and officials alike.
“It has long been considered a platform for future stars of the sport to make a name for themselves and for many of the participating players in this year’s edition, it is their first taste of competing on the world stage," he said.
“Similarly, it is an important development event for the umpire pathway also. A diverse and motivated team of international match officials has been appointed, and I am confident that they will do an excellent job. I wish them the very best of luck across their time in South Africa," Easey added.
West Indies, winners of the tournament eight years ago, will do battle in Group B alongside South Africa, England and Scotland, and will open their campaign against the hosts at Senwes Park in Potchefstroom next Friday.
In preparation, they face New Zealand at Braamfischer Oval in Gauteng on Sunday in their first official warm-up, before taking on Nepal at St Stithians in Johannesburg next Wednesday.
India was fined five per cent of their match fee for falling one over short of the minimum over rate, while West Indies have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for falling two overs short of the minimum over rate.
Richie Richardson of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Hardik Pandya and Rovman Powell’s sides were ruled to be one and two overs short respectively of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration.
In accordance with Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, subject to a cap of 50 per cent of the match fee.
Pandya and Powell pleaded guilty to the offences and accepted the proposed sanctions, so there was no need for a formal hearing.
On-field umpires Gregory Brathwaite and Patrick Gustard, third umpire Nigel Duguid and fourth umpire Leslie Reifer leveled the charges.
