New Delhi: Paul Reiffel and Richard Illingworth have been appointed as on-field umpires for the highly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash in the 2025 Champions Trophy, the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed. For the India-Pakistan game to be held on February 23 at the Dubai International Stadium, Michael Gough will be TV umpire, while Adrian Holdstock is the fourth umpire and David Boon will assume charge as the Match Referee.
While announcing the officials for all 12 league games of the Champions Trophy, the ICC revealed that Richard Kettleborough and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid will stand as on-field umpires in the opening match of the 2025 Champions Trophy to be played between Pakistan and New Zealand in Karachi on February 19.
Joel Wilson will be the TV umpire and Alex Wharf the fourth umpire, while Andrew Pycroft will be the match referee as the tournament marks its return for the first time since 2017, when Pakistan won the title in England.
For India’s matches, Reiffel and Holdstock will be on-field umpires for the clash against Bangladesh on February 20 in Dubai, with Illingworth being TV umpire, Michael Gough as the fourth umpire and Boon will be the match referee.
Gough and Illingworth will be the on-field umpires for the India vs New Zealand clash in Dubai on March 2, with Holdstock as TV umpire, Reiffel as fourth umpire and Boon as the match referee.
The two-week competition will see the top eight teams feature in 15 matches across 19 days in Pakistan and the UAE. Group A features Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and New Zealand, while Group B includes Afghanistan, England, Australia, and South Africa.
The tournament is also the first global cricket competition Pakistan has hosted since the Men’s ODI World Cup in 1996. India and Australia are the two most successful sides in the Champions Trophy, having won it twice.
