The ICC has selected former Sri Lanka captain Ranjan Madugalle as its Chief Match Referee and handed him the brief of identifying prospective candidates to make up the rest of the five man panel.

"Ranjan is a highly experienced and respected individual who has earned the right to take the lead role at the head of the new referees panel," commented ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed.

Madugalle represented his country in 21 Test matches and 65 One Day Internationals between 1979 and 1989. He was captain from 1987 to '89 and served two spells as a national selector. He was appointed to the ICC match referees panel in 1994 and has officiated in 35 Tests and 101 ODIs, matches involving all Test countries.

Proof of his high standing in the game were his appointments as match referee for the 1999 World Cup final in England and the ICC Knock Out finals of 1998 and 2000.

His first task will be to travel the cricket world to identify and screen candidates to fill the remaining four positions on the new panel. Short listed nominees will be interviewed and appointed by Malcolm Speed and Sunil Gavaskar, in his role as Chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee-Playing.

The new panels of full time ICC referees and umpires will take up their duties in April next year.

Media contact:

Mark Harrison
ICC Communications Manager
Tel: + 44 (0) 207 266 7913/1818
Email: mark.harrison@icc-cricket.com

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