KARACHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has nominated three Englishmen to be the match officials during Ireland’s inaugural Test when they take on Pakistan at Malahide near Dublin from Friday. Chris Broad, one of the senior-most match referees who was appointed to his current position by the game’s governing body in 2003, is a former England opening batsman. The 60-year-old would be taking charge of his 94th Test in the forthcoming fixture. Broad, whose son Stuart is the regular new-ball partner of England’s highest Test wicket-taker James Anderson, was also the match referee when the visiting Sri Lankan came under terror attack during the Test at Lahore in March 2009. Former England spinner Richard Illingworth – who was the last man dismissed in the 1992 World Cup final won by Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – and Nigel Llong have been appointed on-field umpires for the historic Test match. While Illingworth, 54, is due to supervise his 33rd Test, the 49-year-old former Kent player Llong will be officiating for the 52nd time. The ICC has not named the TV umpire from its panels but is likely the home board – Cricket Ireland – would appoint the 55-year-old Mark Hawthorne, who is the senior Irish umpire having officiated in 26 One-day Internationals and 10 Twenty20 Internationals since 2010.
Published in Daily Times, May 9th 2018.