Dubai, January 12, 2024: Leading the ILT20 2024 match officials panel are two of the most renowned umpires in cricket history, Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar. At the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday, January 19, the tournament’s opening match between the Gulf Giants, the reigning champions, and the Sharjah Warriors will be officiated by Simon Taufel and Dar.
For the first game of the ILT20 2024, the illustrious pair that officiated the 2011 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup final and the 2012 ICC T20 World Cup final will reunite.
In addition to Taufel and Dar, some of the most well-known match referees and umpires who are actively participating in all three international cricket formats are on the ILT20 2024 match official panel.
The 34-match competition will be umpired by South Africa’s Adrain Holdstock, Australia’s Rod Tucker, Sri Lanka’s Ruchira Palliyaguruge, England’s Martin Saggers, Australia’s Paul Wilson, and Leslie Reifer of the West Indies. The match referees are Steve Bernard, Roshan Mahanama, and Taufel. Taufel will join the panel after officiating the first game.
Cricket fans around the world can expect high-energy entertainment from the Gulf region’s largest Twenty20 league, which is also the second most watched Twenty20 league globally. The league will take place between January 19 and February 17, and its organizers have made sure that world-renowned umpires will be monitoring play.
Although Taufel from Australia was also a member of the ILT20 2023 match official panel, Aleem Dar, who holds the record for the most Tests and ODIs as an on-field umpire (145 and 231), makes his first appearance in an ILT20 match.
Simon Taufel: “I am really looking forward to Season 2 of ILT20 coming back to the UAE.” Leading the panel of match officials the previous year and working closely with some of the future UAE ICC International Panel umpires was an amazing experience. Without a doubt, the ILT20 is a good platform for younger players. In order to increase precision and timeliness, we are also introducing two specialized TV umpires for the first time: Leslie Reifer from the West Indies and Paul Wilson from Australia.
Aleem Dar: “I am eager and excited to be part of the ILT20 which has emerged as one of the leading T20 leagues globally. The competition gives a unique platform for players, specifically from UAE to flourish on an international stage and rub elbows with some of the most famous players in the globe. I am excited for a fantastic season and am honored to be a member of the match officials panel this year.
Some of the biggest names in the game are participating in the ILT20 2024, including Australia’s World Cup hero David Warner, Chris Jordan, Trent Boult, Nicholas Pooran, Chris Woakes, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Alex Hales, Shimron Hetmyer, and Maheesh Theekshana.
The competition will include around 100 players from abroad and 25 from the United Arab Emirates. The Final of the month-long League is set for February 17 in the renowned “Ring of Fire,” Dubai International Stadium. The League will take place in famous locations in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Dubai.
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