ICC reveals match officials for Under-19 World Cup 2026, only two Indians named

Published - 08 Jan 2026, 18:32 IST | Updated - 08 Jan 2026, 18:40 IST

A total of 17 umpires and four match referees from the ICC International Panels of Umpires and Referees have been appointed for the upcoming ICC Men's U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, with officials representing 13 different nationalities for the tournament kicking off on January 15.

The umpiring panel includes two officials from the host nation Zimbabwe, with former international cricketer Forster Mutizwa, who played 21 matches across formats for Zimbabwe, set to officiate alongside compatriot Iknow Chabi.

The officiating group also features several experienced figures, including former West Indies international Deighton Butler, and England’s Graham Lloyd, who follows in the footsteps of his father David Lloyd, a respected former umpire who later became a renowned broadcaster.

The four match referees appointed for the tournament are Dean Cosker (England), Prakash Bhatt (India), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka) and Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), all of whom bring significant international experience to the event.

“This ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a tremendous opportunity for rising stars in the game to shine, but it is also an invaluable reward system for up-and-coming match officials. We hope that this will be the perfect springboard for their careers as we see them progress in their officiating journeys,” the ICC chief executive officer (CEO) Sanjog Gupta said in an official statement.