PAK vs SL | ICC appoints David Boon, Joel Wilson and Michael Gough to officiate limited-over matches
The International Cricket Council has appointed match officials for the upcoming Sri Lanka's tour of Pakistan after a round of scrutinizing the security arrangements in host country. The series, starting on September 27, will comprise three ODI matches and as many T20I fixtures.
The ICC has appointed former Australia cricketer David Boon as the match referee for Pakistan’s limited-overs home series against a reduced Sri Lanka side which starts later this month. The Pakistan Cricket Board with the help of the governement is trying to initiate regular international cricket in the country after it was hindered by terrorist attack on a touring Sri Lankan side almost a decade back.
Before appointing neutral officials for the game, the ICC had to analyse the security situation in Pakistan first. The board confirmed on Saturday that Boon would be the match referee for the series of three ODIs and three T20 internationals in Karachi and Lahore from 27 September to 9 October.
The ICC has also named its Elite panel umpires, Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, who visited Karachi earlier this year for the PSL 4 final, as umpires for the series. Meanwhile, the PCB has named Elite panel umpire Aleem Dar along with Ahsan Raza, Sozaib Raza and Asif Yaqoob to supervise the series as home umpires.
Raza was one of the Pakistani umpires who was travelling in the same bus that was carrying the Sri Lankan team when it was attacked by militants in Lahore in March, 2009. The umpire, who underwent a kidney operation and other complications due to bullet wounds, claimed to have been saved by the help of former England cricketer Chris Broad who was also present there.
The Sri Lankan board confirmed earlier this week that the tour will continue as planned after being content with the security arrangments, getting a go-ahead from the defence ministry.