The upcoming Champions Trophy 2025 will not feature Indian officials, as two prominent candidates have excused themselves from officiating in Pakistan.
According to reports from Indian media, Javagal Srinath, one of the most respected match referees, and Nitin Menon, a member of the ICC’s elite umpire panel, have both opted not to undertake assignments in the Pakistan leg of the tournament due to personal reasons.
“Menon has refused to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy citing ‘personal reasons.’ Obviously, he can’t be officiating in India’s matches in Dubai, as the tournament rules stipulate neutral umpires. Hence, he is missing from the Champions Trophy,” a source told The Times of India.
Meanwhile, Srinath, who is currently officiating in India’s bilateral white-ball series against England, confirmed his absence by stating he had requested "leave" due to an extended period away from home during the months of November, December, and January.
“Yes, I had asked for leave as I had quite a few days away from home in the month of November, December, and January,” Srinath told The Times of India from Nagpur, the venue of the first ODI.
Srinath and Menon are the only Indians in the ICC Elite Panel of Referees and Umpires, respectively, and their absence from the list of officials for the Champions Trophy was confirmed when the ICC announced the match officials on Wednesday.
With all matches in Dubai involving India, and neutral officials required, the decision automatically rules out Indian match officials for the tournament.
As per the hybrid model, India will play all their matches, including the semi-final and final (should they qualify), in Dubai. A similar arrangement will apply for Pakistan during future ICC events hosted by India, where all their games will be played at neutral venues.
The 12-member umpires panel includes renowned names such as ICC’s Umpire of the Year Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Michael Gough, Paul Reiffel, Chris Gaffaney, and Kumar Dharmasena. Ahsan Raza is the only Pakistani umpire in the panel.
The match referees for the tournament will be David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, and Andrew Pycroft.
Sean Easey, the ICC Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees, expressed confidence in the selection, saying, "We always aim to name the most suitable and deserving officials for any event, and we are confident this group will perform excellently across the matches in Pakistan and the UAE."
Official Match Officials for Champions Trophy 2025:
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson
Match Referees: David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft
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