DUBAI, JAN 8: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed a total of 17 umpires and four match referees from its Emirates International Panels of Umpires and Referees for the upcoming ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup, which begins on January 15.
Officials representing 13 different nationalities will oversee the tournament.
The umpiring panel includes two representatives from the host nation Zimbabwe: former international cricketer Forster Mutizwa, who played 21 matches across formats for Zimbabwe, and his compatriot Iknow Chabi.
The panel also features several experienced officials, including former West Indies international Deighton Butler and England’s Graham Lloyd, following in the footsteps of his father, David Lloyd, a respected former umpire and broadcaster.
The four match referees appointed for the tournament are Dean Cosker (England), Prakash Bhatt (India), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka) and Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), all of whom bring extensive international experience to the event.
Highlighting the significance of the tournament not only for young cricketers but also for officials, ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta emphasised the dual role of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup as a platform for emerging talent on and off the field.
“The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a tremendous opportunity for rising stars in the game to shine. It is also an invaluable platform for up-and-coming match officials. We hope this tournament will serve as a springboard for their careers as they progress in their officiating journeys,” Gupta said.
Umpires for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026:
Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afghanistan), Aidan Seaver (Ireland), Cory Black (New Zealand), Deighton Butler (West Indies), Faisal Afridi (Pakistan), Forster Mutizwa (Zimbabwe), Graham Lloyd (England), Iknow Chabi (Zimbabwe), Lubabalo Gcuma (South Africa), Masudur Mukul (Bangladesh), Nitin Bathi (Netherlands), Phillip Gillespie (Australia), Prageeth Rambukwella (Sri Lanka), Russell Warren (England), Shaun Haig (New Zealand), Shawn Craig (Australia), Virender Sharma (India) and Zahid Bassarath (West Indies).
Match Referees:
Dean Cosker (England), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka), Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh) and Prakash Bhatt (India).
