ICC announces match officials for WTC final between Australia, South Africa
Dubai: Chris Gaffaney of New Zealand and England's Richard Illingworth have been announced as on-field umpires for the World Test Championship (WTC) final which is set to take place at Lord's from June 11 to 15 between Australia and South Africa, as per the ICC official website.
The highly anticipated clash will see South Africa take on Australia in the culmination of a fiercely contested two-year Test cycle for the mace.
Illingworth, who was also part of the officiating team in the 2021 and 2023 finals, continues his consistent presence in marquee Test matches. He is also the current ICC Umpire of the Year, having won the David Shepherd Trophy for the fourth time in 2024.
Gaffaney had partnered with Illingworth in officiating last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final, and also officiated in the WTC 2023 Final between India and Australia.
Illingworth will be making history in the Ultimate Test, having stood as an on-field umpire for all three World Test Championship Finals.
Richard Kettleborough, also from England, who has officiated in the finals of several marquee ICC events, including the Men's Cricket World Cup and the Champions Trophy, has been appointed as the TV umpire, after having played the same role in the WTC 2021 Final between India and New Zealand.
India's Nitin Menon has been named as the fourth umpire for the contest, marking his debut in a World Test Championship Final, after having served as the TV umpire for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup Final in 2021.
The match will be overseen by experienced Indian match referee Javagal Srinath.
ICC Chairman Jay Shah also commended the experience and merit of the appointed officials and expressed confidence in their performance.
"We are pleased to announce an experienced team of match officials for the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's, marking the culmination of a highly competitive two-year cycle of Test matches played around the world," Jay Shah said as quoted by the ICC.
"We strive to select the most qualified and deserving officials for all matches, and we are confident they will perform admirably. On behalf of the ICC, I wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this assignment," he added.
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