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Pakistan's Wasim Raja was named in the International Cricket Council's match referees panel that was released Friday.

India's Gundappa Viswanath, South African Mike Proctor and West Indian Clive Lloyd also earned two-year full time contracts with the ICC. Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle is the fifth official who is also the chief referee.

The panel comes into effect from April 1. There are three Asians in the panel and if Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is to be trusted, Proctor is also part of the Asian alliance. However, Wasim's appointment came out of the blue as the former Test star was neither Pakistan's representative in the defunct panel nor ever served as match referee in country's domestic circuit.

Wasim, who turned 50 this July, played in 57 Tests and 54 one-day internationals for Pakistan. He was also appointed Pakistan coach for a brief period in 1999. Wasim was selected ahead of Naushad Ali and Talat Ali who served as Pakistan's representative in the outgoing match referees panel.

The five were selected out of 30 nominations the 10 Test playing countries had sent. The list was finalized by ICC chief executive Mal Speed and Sunil Gavaskar (ICC cricket management committee-playing) after Madugalle had trimmed the tally of candidates to 12.

The ICC will release the eight members of the elite panel of umpires on March 4.

PCB Delighted

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was delighted with the selection of its candidate in the match referees panel and said the game's controlling body have proved that it was a neutral body.

The chairman of the PCB, Lt Gen Tauqir Zia, further said from Rawalpindi that it was very nice of the ICC to include Wasim Raja. "Wasim was a late inclusion. We added his name after we came to know that he was free in the next two years. But I must thank the ICC that they considered Wasim for selection and eventually picked him," Tauqir said.

He added: "I am delighted and happy because now there is a Pakistani in the mainstream of the ICC. "It shows the neutrality of the ICC. It has shown that the origin of the candidate is of no consequence when it comes to picking the best men for the toughest jobs."

Tauqir, who is also the chairman of the Asian Cricket Board (ACC), hoped that the latest ICC decision would help defuse the tension between the two establishments. "We have never challenged the authority of the ICC. It is the supreme body and we respect and trust it.

© Dawn