Dubai, The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially announced the lineup of match officials for the upcoming ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024. The tournament, set to take place in South Africa from January 19 to February 11, will feature an experienced team of 16 umpires and four match referees to oversee a total of 41 matches.
According to International Cricket Council, this selection of officials includes seasoned umpires and referees from across the globe. The opening match in Potchefstroom on January 19 between hosts South Africa and West Indies will be officiated by Roland Black of Ireland and Gazi Sohel of Bangladesh, with former Sri Lankan international cricketer Graeme Labrooy as the match referee. TV Umpire Rashid Riaz Waqar of Pakistan and Bismillah Jan Shinwari of Afghanistan will complete the officials’ lineup for the inaugural game.
The highly anticipated match on January 20 between defending champions India and Bangladesh in Bloemfontein will see Australia’s Donovan Koch and West Indies’ Nigel Duguid as on-field umpires. Zimbabwe’s Langton Rusere will serve as the fourth umpire, with South African duo Allahudien Palekar as TV Umpire and Shaid Wadvalla as Match Referee.
The event also includes umpires from the host nation, with Allahudien Palekar and Bongani Jele both representing South Africa. Their extensive international experience will be crucial in games like the Pakistan vs. Afghanistan match in East London, officiated by Jele and India’s K.N.A. Padmanabhan, with India’s Narayanan Kutty as the Match Referee.
Other notable fixtures include the Sri Lanka vs. Zimbabwe match in Kimberley on January 21, with Mike Burns and Patrick Gustard as on-field umpires, Masudur Rahman Mukul of Bangladesh as TV Umpire, Faisal Khan Afridi of Pakistan as Fourth Umpire, and England’s Wayne Noon as Match Referee.
Sean Easey, ICC Manager – Umpires and Referees, emphasized the importance of the U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup in the ICC calendar, highlighting it as a platform for future stars and a key event for developing umpires. The diverse and motivated team of international match officials is expected to uphold the highest standards of the game, contributing significantly to the tournament’s success.
The full schedule of Match Official appointments for group stage fixtures is available on the ICC’s Online Media Zone, with appointments for the later stages to be announced in due course.
Lahore, The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) has experienced a significant boost in its media rights value, with the broadcasting and live-streaming rights for the 2024 and 2025 editions seeing increases of 45 and 113 percent, respectively.
According to Pakistan Cricket Board, ARY Communications (Pvt) Limited (ARY) emerged as the highest bidder in a public tender process for the broadcast rights in Pakistan for the next two editions of the HBL PSL. This deal represents a substantial 45 percent increase from the value of the last two years. The tender process for the PSL TV Broadcast media rights in the Pakistan region for 2024-2025 was conducted in a public, transparent, and merit-based manner, attracting bids from various media companies including Independent Media Corporation Pvt. Ltd (IMC), Pakistan Television Corporation Limited (PTVC), and Tower Sports (Ten Sports).
In a parallel development, Walee Technologies secured the highest bid for live-streaming the HBL PSL in 2024 and 2025 in Pakistan, marking a remarkable 113 percent increase from the previous value. The PCB received live-streaming bids from several parties including a consortium of ARY Communications, Walee Technologies, TransGroup FZE, IMC, and Tower Sports.
The PCB Bid Committee has recommended the approval of the highest bids submitted by ARY and Walee Technologies to the competent authority.
Chairman PCB Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf, expressed his congratulations to ARY, Walee Technologies, the PCB, its management committee, and the franchises on this historic achievement. He highlighted the significant growth of the HBL PSL brand and expressed anticipation for the upcoming ninth edition of the league.
Salman Iqbal, the Founder and CEO of ARY Digital, shared his delight at ARY securing the highest bid for the HBL PSL broadcast rights, emphasizing the commitment to enhancing the PSL brand over the next two seasons in partnership with the PCB.
Ahsan Tahir, CEO and co-founder of Walee Technologies, also expressed honour at winning the live-streaming media rights bid for the ninth and tenth editions of the HBL PSL. He emphasized Walee Technologies’ commitment to elevating the digital experience of the HBL PSL, attributing their investment capability to the trust of advertisers in their platform’s media touchpoints.
This significant surge in media rights value marks a major milestone for the HBL PSL, reflecting its growing brand strength and fan following in the cricketing world.