Marais Erasmus, the present ICC Umpire of the Year, is in charge of an experienced crew.
Tuesday, December 27: The 17 match referees for the inaugural championship, which will start on January 10, 2023 in Cape Town, have been released by Betway SA20.
There are 12 umpires in all, with experience in officiating sports, who will preside over the 33 bouts. Additionally, there will be five match referees dispersed throughout the six renowned locations in South Africa.
Marais Erasmus, the current ICC Umpire of the Year, who officiated in the dramatic 2019 ICC Men’s World Cup final at Lord’s as well as the 2022 and 2021 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup finals, tops the list.
Other members of the ICC International Panel of Umpires, including Shaun George, Adrian Holdstock, Bongani Jele, and Allahudien Paleker, will join Erasmus. Additionally, Holdstock recently served as a referee at the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.
“Umpires are a critical element of the game, and we are happy to have some of the top officials in South Africa and the World,” Betway SA20 League Commissioner Graeme Smith said. The League provides our umpires with a stage on which to preside over international matches of top-notch cricket played by the best players in the world.
A complete component of DRS will be used in every League game to reduce the margin for error.
MI Cape Town and Paarl Royals will play in the tournament’s opening match on Tuesday, January 10 at Newlands.
I’m pleased to be a part of the SA20 match officials, said Paleker, who made his Test debut earlier this year. With some of the finest T20 players in the globe participating, it’s expected to be one of the largest Leagues in the world.
The semi-finals are slated to take place at the Wanderers and Centurion on Wednesday, February 8 and Thursday, February 9, respectively. On Saturday, February 11, the Wanderers will host the championship.
Betway Match Officials for SA20
Match Referees: Barry Lambson, Laurence Matroos, Zama Ndamane, Gerrie Pienaar, Shaid Wadvalla
Umpires: Marais Erasmus, Siphelele Gasa, Babalo Gcuma, Shaun George, Stephen Harris, Adrian Holdstock, Arno Jacobs, Bongani Jele, Allahudien Paleker, Dennis Smith, Abdullah Steenkamp, Brad White
