Speculation in some areas of the media regarding the make up of the ICC's Referees Panel is inaccurate and presumptive; comments attributed to an unnamed source within the Pakistan Cricket Board claim that none of the PCB's nominations (or those from the Board of Control for Cricket in India) for the posts has been successful.

In responding to these claims Malcolm Speed The ICC's Chief Executive Officer today made the following comments:

"These comments, attributed to the PCB, are uninformed, inaccurate and unhelpful. The country of origin is of no consequence in the selection process. Sunil Gavaskar, as Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, and I have been charged by the ICC's Executive Board to select and appoint the five best referees irrespective of their origin. This process is now reaching its conclusion and I expect to be able to announce the four additional appointees in the very near future.

The process so far has been painstaking and extensive; each nominee has been carefully considered by ICC Chief Referee Ranjan Madugalle. This week Sunil and I will review Ranjan's recommendations before finalising the makeup of the panel."

Madugalle was appointed as ICC Chief Referee in November last year and was given the specific task of the initial screening of candidates for the panel and producing a shortlist of twelve candidates for consideration by Speed and Gavaskar.

Each Full Member of the ICC was invited to make nominations for the panel. Over 30 nominations were received and candidates interviewed by Madugalle. The ICC Referees Panel will commence operations with effect from the 1st April 2002 along with the ICC Elite Umpires Panel.

David Clarke
ICC Communications
Tel: 00 44 (0) 20 7266 7914
Mobile: 00 44 (0) 7774 476398
Email: david.clarke@icc-cricket.com

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