ICC U19 World Cup 2026: Meet the Umpires and Match Referees from 13 Nations

A total of 17 umpires and four match referees from the Emirates ICC International Panels of Umpires and Referees will be used during the impending ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup. A total of 13 different nationalities will be represented during this event that starts on January 15. The umpiring squad will comprise two umpires from the host Zimbabwean nation, with former international cricketer Forster Mutizwa, who has played 21 international matches for Zimbabwe, to officiate alongside his fellow national, Iknow Chabi.
The umpiring team also comprises many experienced personnel, among whom are the former West Indies international, Deighton Butler, and England’s Graham Lloyd, who is carrying forward the mantle from his father, David Lloyd, who was a former umpire and a famous broadcaster. The four match referees who have been assigned to officiate at this tournament include Dean Cosker from England, Prakash Bhatt from India, Graeme Labrooy from Sri Lanka, and Neeyamur Rahul from Bangladesh.
The ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said: “This ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a tremendous opportunity for rising stars in the game to shine, but it is also an invaluable reward system for up-and-coming match officials. We hope that this will be the perfect springboard for their careers as we see them progress in their officiating journeys.”
Match officials for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026
Umpires: Cory Black (New Zealand), Deighton Butler (West Indies), Faisal Afridi (Pakistan), Forster Mutizwa (Zimbabwe), Graham Lloyd (England), Iknow Chabi (Zimbabwe), Lubabalo Gcuma (South Africa), Masudur Mukul (Bangladesh), Nitin Bathi (Netherlands), Prageeth Rambukwella (Sri Lanka), Russell Warren (England), Shaun Haig (New Zealand), Shawn Craig (Australia), Virender Sharma (India), Zahid Bassarath (West Indies), Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afghanistan), Aidan Seaver (Ireland),
Referees: Dean Cosker (England), Graeme La Brooy (Sri Lanka), Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), Prakash Bhatt (India)
FAQs
A total of 21 match officials have been appointed, including 17 umpires and 4 match referees.
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