The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday announced a list of 12 umpires and three match referees as match officials for the 2025 ICC Men's Champions Trophy, from February 19 to March 9 in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.
The tournament will be held in four venues: Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Pakistan, and Dubai in the UAE.
According to a statement by the ICC, a distinguished panel of 12 umpires will officiate the eight-team event, with six of them returning after officiating in the 2017 edition.
That includes the stage presence of someone like Richard Kettleborough, who was part of the final of the last Champions Trophy held in the UK, in 2017. Kettleborough also has experience of 108 Men's ODIs and will be accompanied by other umpires Chris Gaffaney, Kumar Dharmasena, Richard Illingworth, Paul Reiffel, and Rod Tucker, who served during the 2017 tournament Pakistan won.
Dharmasena will be officiating at the upcoming tournament, which will be his 132nd ODI, a record for an umpire from Sri Lanka in the ODIs. Kettleborough and Illingworth, who stood together during the 2023 Men's ODI World Cup final between India and Australia in Ahmedabad, are joined by Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Ahsan Raza, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Alex Wharf, and Joel Wilson - all of whom officiated in the mega event in India.
The panel for 2025 Champions Trophy will be headed by David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft, the three of them being the part of the elite panel of ICC match referees. Boon was seen officiating in the 2017 final of Champions Trophy between India and Pakistan, and Madugalle returns after the 2013 final between India and England while Pycroft also appeared in the 2017 edition.
"We are pleased to announce this highly credentialed team of match officials for the ICC Men's Champions Trophy 2025. Their collective expertise and experience will be invaluable in ensuring the tournament runs smoothly."
We always try to select the most deserving officials for such high-profile events, and we are confident that this group will do an outstanding job in both Pakistan and the UAE. We wish them all the best for a memorable tournament," said Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees.
The competition will run for two weeks with the top eight teams playing 15 matches over 19 days. Group A has Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Group B comprises Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.
Pakistan are the defending champions of the tournament after winning the last edition in 2017 in England. They will open the 2025 tournament against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.
The tournament is also the first global cricket competition Pakistan is hosting since the Men's ODI World Cup in 1996. India and Australia are the two most successful sides in the Champions Trophy, having won it twice.
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson.
Match Referees: David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft.
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