The ICC has confirmed details of match referee and umpire appointments for the forthcoming Test series between South Africa and India, starting on the 3rd November.

Referee
Mike Denness, the former England captain and middle order batsman, will referee the series. It will be his third as an ICC match referee, with his last appointment being the series between the West Indies and South Africa in the Caribbean in March and April this year.

Umpires
Asoka De Silva of Sri Lanka will stand as the ICC panel umpire in the first Test match in Bloemfontein. Russell Tiffin of Zimbabwe will be the ICC on-field official for the second Test in Port Elizabeth starting in the 16th November, and England's George Sharp will take the final match at Centurion.

ICC Test Championship Standings

This series pits second placed South Africa against eighth placed India. Given South Africa's strong home record, it beat India 2 -0 in 1996/97, a series victory would confirm its position in second place, and give a timely boost ahead of its back-to-back series with current champion Australia.

A series victory for India, its first overseas since defeating Sri Lanka in a three match rubber in 1993/94, would not affect the Proteas standing, but its points average would drop from 1.50 to 1.38 (22 points from 16 series).

A win would move India one place up the championship table to seventh (11 points from 13 series), overtaking Pakistan, which currently lies seventh with an average of 0.73 (11 points from 15 series).

A drawn rubber would also take India above Pakistan, increasing its points average to 0.77 (10 points from 13 series). South Africa's points average would drop to 1.44 (23 points from 16 series) but not affect its second placed status.

A series defeat would not move India further down the table, but would give Zimbabwe the chance to make up ground during its visits to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in November and December.

ICC TEST CHAMPIONSHIP TABLE, NOVEMBER 2001

Team	      Played   Won     Lost   Drawn   Points   Average	
Australia       13      10      2       1       21      1.62	
South Africa    16      11      3       2       24      1.50	
England         14       7      5       2       16      1.14	
Sri Lanka       13       6      5       2       14      1.08	
West Indies     13       6      6       1       13      1.00	
New Zealand     15       6      7       2       14      0.93	
Pakistan        15       3      7       5       11      0.73	
India           13       3      7       3        9      0.69	
Zimbabwe        15       2     11       2        6      0.40	
Bangladesh       1       0      1       0        0       -	

The distinctive ICC Test Championship Trophy, awarded to the leading team, is currently on tour in Australia as part of its domestic summer of cricket including series against New Zealand and South Africa.

ICC BIOGRAPHIES

Mike Denness (01/12/50)

Appointed to ICC Match Referees Panel 1995
Test Match Series as ICC Referee: 3 (10 Test Matches)
1st Test West Indies v New Zealand 1995/96

Asoka De Silva (28/03/56)

Appointed to ICC Umpires Panel 2001
Test Matches as ICC Panel Umpire: 1 (4 Tests as Home Board Appointment)
1st Test as Panel Umpire: Zimbabwe v India 2001

Russell Tiffin (04/06/59)

Appointed to ICC Umpires Panel 1995
Test Matches as ICC Panel Umpire: 11
1st Test: Pakistan v New Zealand 1996/97

George Sharp (12/03/50)

Appointed to ICC Umpires Panel 1996
Test Matches as ICC Panel Umpire: 8
1st Test: India v South Africa 1996

Media contact:
Mark Harrison
ICC Communications Manager
Tel: + 44 20 7266 7913/1818 Email: mark.harrison@icc-cricket.com

© ICC