The United Cricket Board has appointed a 14-man first-class panel of umpires for the 2002/3 domestic season.

"While we had 22 men on the panel last year, the time was right to reduce the panel for various reasons," said UCB Director of Cricket Operations, Brian Basson. "Firstly, because of the ICC 2003 Cricket World Cup, our domestic fixture format has been reduced next season, so we would need fewer umpires. Secondly the decision to trim the panel is in line with the ICC policy of taking a route of excellence - fewer umpires having greater exposure."

In addition to the first class panel, an emerging panel of 12 umpires will officiate in UCB Bowl and Under 19 domestic fixtures.

Twelve members of the new first class panel served last year, but Murray Brown and Garth Cuddembey, both of Eastern Province, are new faces promoted to the panel this year.

Rudi Koertzen and Dave Orchard have been appointed to the ICC's elite panel of umpires and their involvement in South African domestic cricket will be extensively reduced, so they have been removed from the panel.

Previously, the ICC appointed one standing umpire for Test matches and the home country appointed the other. All ICC Full Member Countries were entitled to appoint umpires for One-Day International matches. Now, however, the ICC appoints both Test standing umpires from its elite panel and at least one umpire for One-Day Internationals, with the possibility that the host country may appoint the other standing umpire from the ICC's Elite or International Panels. The television umpires for international matches will be confined to the host country's umpires who sit on the ICC's International Panel. The fourth umpire for international matches in South Africa will be appointed from the UCB's first-class panel.

FIRST CLASS PANEL
Danny Becker (Gauteng)
Murray Brown (Eastern Province)
Johan Cloete (Northerns)
Garth Cuddembey (Eastern Province)
Brian Jerling (Eastern Province - also serves on ICC International Panel)
Ian Howell (Border - also serves on ICC International Panel)
Karl Hurter (Easterns)
Barry Lambson (Gauteng)
Lawrence Matroos (Western Province)
Muhammed Nanabhay (Free State)
John Ostrom (Gauteng)
Craig Schoof (Border)
Koos van Tonder (Western Province)
Shaid Wadvalla (Gauteng)

EMERGING PANEL
Kevin Adams (KwaZulu-Natal)
Brian Catt (Gauteng)
Pierre Durell (Gauteng)
Marais Erasmus (Boland)
Leighton Forbes (Western Province)
Mark Jamieson (Boland)
Laird King (Border)
Walter Liebisch (Easterns)
Hugo Lindenburg (Border)
Russel McIntosch (Western Province)
Gerrie Pienaar (Gauteng)
Barendt Westraadt (Free State)

© United Cricket Board of South Africa