Chris Gaffaney from New Zealand and Richard Illingworth from England have been selected as the on-field umpires for the upcoming ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final. The highly anticipated match will be contested between Australia and India at The Oval in London from June 7th to 11th, with June 12th serving as a reserve day to compensate for any lost time during the scheduled five days of play.
Chris Gaffaney, aged 48, will be officiating in his 49th Test match, while Richard Illingworth, aged 59, will be participating in his 64th Test match. Notably, Illingworth had also officiated in the first-ever WTC Final, which took place two years ago. In that match, New Zealand emerged victorious over India with an eight-wicket win in Southampton. The International Cricket Council (ICC) shared this information in a press release on Monday.
The #WTC23 Final is just over a week away.
Which team are you supporting?
Final squads for India, Australia _https://t.co/sHtALCLiqV
— ICC (@ICC) May 29, 2023
Richard Kettleborough, another umpire from England, has been assigned the role of TV umpire for the second consecutive WTC Final. He will assist the on-field umpires in making accurate decisions using the available technology. The fourth umpire for the match will be Kumar Dharmasena from Sri Lanka, as stated in the release.
The match referee for the WTC Final will be Richie Richardson from the West Indies. Richardson, a former West Indian cricketer, has taken up the role of match referee in numerous high-profile matches, ensuring fair play and adherence to the rules and regulations of the game.
With these experienced and capable officials appointed for the WTC Final, cricket fans around the world can look forward to a thrilling contest between Australia and India. The final match of the World Test Championship is expected to be an intense battle, as the two top-ranked teams in Test cricket compete for the ultimate glory in the longest format of the game.
