The ICC has appointed David Boon, the former Australia batsman, as the match referee for Pakistan’s short limited-overs series at home against a second-string Sri Lankan side. The decision signals its change in stance with regards to the security situation in the country.
The ICC confirmed on Saturday that Boon will be the match referee for the series of three One-Day Internationals and three Twenty20 Internationals in Karachi and Lahore from September 27 to October 9, 2019.
Boon, 58, is one of the most experienced officials on the ICC match-referees panel, having already officiated in 135 ODIs and 51 T20Is since 2011. He played 107 Tests and 181 ODIs for Australia between 1984 and 1996. The ICC has also named its Elite panel umpires — Joel Wilson and Michael Gough — as umpires for the series. Gough had visited Karachi earlier this year for the final of the Pakistan Super League, a domestic T20 league.
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The Pakistan Cricket Board has named Elite panel umpire Aleem Dar along with Ahsan Raza, Sozaib Raza and Asif Yaqoob to supervise the series as home umpires. Raza was one of the Pakistani umpires who was travelling in the match officials coaster behind the bus carrying the Sri Lankan team when it came under attack by militants in Lahore in March, 2009.
Raza survived a kidney operation and other complications due to bullet wounds to make a brave return to umpiring.
The ICC last week had made it clear that it would only decide on appointing its match officials for the series after reviewing the security situation and arrangements through its independent security expert.
It was only earlier this week that the Sri Lankan board finally confirmed it would be sending its team to Pakistan.
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