Gaffaney, Illingworth to be on-field umpires during 1st semi-final

Dubai, March 3: New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney and England’s Richard Illingworth will officiate as on-field umpires in the Champions Trophy semifinal between India and Australia here on Tuesday.
Englishman Michael Gough will be the third umpire while Andy Pycroft of Zimbabwe will perform match referee’s duties as per the ICC announcement.Illingworth will continue in Dubai having overseen India’s Group A clash with New Zealand on Sunday, while Gaffaney was due to umpire Australia’s meeting with South Africa in Group B in Rawalpindi on February 25 before the match was abandoned due to rain.In the second semifinal between South Africa and New Zealand in Lahore, Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena will work alongside Australia’s Paul Reiffel as the on-field umpires. Joel Wilson will be the third umpire, while Ranjan Madugalle will officiate as the match referee.
Dharmasena was in charge when New Zealand beat Bangladesh in Group A in Rawalpindi, while Reiffel was in the middle when India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan here on February 23. The appointments ensure an experienced officiating panel for the high-stakes semifinals, with umpires who have already overseen crucial group-stage matches in the tournament. As the race for the coveted Champions Trophy intensifies, the officials’ role will be pivotal in maintaining the spirit of the game and delivering fair outcomes in the knockout battles. (PTI)