Dubai, Jan 8 (IANS) India’s Virender Sharma, Prakash Bhatt have been named among the 21 match officials announced for the upcoming ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, set to be staged across Zimbabwe and Namibia from January 15.

“A total of 17 umpires and four match referees from the ICC International Panels of Umpires and Referees have been appointed for the upcoming ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup, with officials representing 13 different nationalities for the tournament kicking off on January 15,” ICC said in a statement.

The umpiring panel includes two officials from the host nation Zimbabwe, with former international cricketer Forster Mutizwa, who played 21 matches across formats for Zimbabwe, set to officiate alongside compatriot Iknow Chabi.

The officiating group also features several experienced figures, including former West Indies international Deighton Butler and England’s Graham Lloyd, who follows in the footsteps of his father David Lloyd, a respected former umpire who later became a renowned broadcaster.

The four match referees appointed for the tournament are Dean Cosker (England), Prakash Bhatt (India), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka) and Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), all of whom bring significant international experience to the event.

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta hailed the World Cup as a great opportunity for umpires to showcase their decision-making skills and prepare for the biggest stage. He 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,” he added.

The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup will be played from January 15 to February 6, 2026. A total of 16 teams will compete in 41 matches, with the final scheduled to be held on February 6 at the Harare Sports Club.

On the opening day, India will take on the United States, Zimbabwe will face Scotland, and Tanzania will make their historic tournament debut against the West Indies.

Matches will be played across five venues: Harare Sports Club, Takashinga Sports Club and Queens Sports Club in Zimbabwe, along with the Namibia Cricket Ground and HP Oval Namibia.

The tournament format consists of four groups of four teams each, followed by the Super Six stage, the semi-finals and the final in Harare.

Match officials for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026

Umpires: Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afghanistan), Aidan Seaver (Ireland), 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)

Referees: Dean Cosker (England), Graeme La Brooy (Sri Lanka), Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), Prakash Bhatt (India)

–IANS

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