Ashish Ranjan
Major League Cricket (MLC) announced the eleven match officials for America’s first-ever professional franchise cricket league, scheduled to begin play on Thursday, July 13, 2023.
Nine umpires and two match referees will comprise an experienced group of officials for the 19 matches to be played at two cricket-specific venues in North Texas (Grand Prairie Stadium, Grand Prairie, TX) and North Carolina (Church Street Park, Morrisville, NC) prior to the championship match on July 30.
Wayne Knights, Paul Wilson, and Ruchira Paliyaguru, who presently serve on the ICC International Panel of Umpires, are among the members of this group. Four American arbitrators –
The remaining members are Jermaine Lindo, Rushane Samuels, Vijaya Prakash Mallela, and Billy Taylor, with Lindo and Mallela currently serving on the International Panel of ICC Development Umpires. Taylor, who recently moved to the United States from his native England, has served on the Full Umpires List of the English Cricket Board.
Simon Taufel, the five-time ICC Umpire of the Year, will serve as a Match Referee alongside Reon King, who is presently a member of the International Panel of ICC Match Referees. Owen Brown and Colin Edwards will serve as fourth umpires throughout the duration of the tournament.
“The umpire crew is an integral part of the game, and we are thrilled to welcome an experienced group that includes some of the best officials in the world,” said Major League Cricket Tournament Director Justin Geale. “Our league will provide a platform for domestic umpires to officiate high-level competitions in front of an international audience.” We are thrilled that two umpires who have distinguished themselves in Minor League Cricket over the past two seasons will also serve as fourth umpires on the Playing Control Team.”
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“The cricket world will be watching this historic event, and the “seventh team” in MLC – our match officials’ group – is focused on performing to the highest standard with a quality mix of international and domestic-based umpires,” stated Simon Taufel. “I am excited to bring my experience to the event and contribute to the growth of umpiring in the United States.”
The first-ever MLC match will begin on Thursday, July 13 at 7:30 p.m. CST under the lights at America’s new preeminent cricket venue, the 7,200-seat Grand Prairie Stadium near Dallas, Texas. Fans can purchase the remaining seats at tickets.majorleaguecricket.com for as low as $30.
