ICC announces match officials for WTC final; Javagal Srinath named referee

The Indian squad may not have made it to the World Test Championship final, but former pacer Javagal Srinath will be the match referee for the forthcoming marquee clash, with WTC debutant Nitin Menon serving as the fourth umpire.

Richard Illingworth of England and Chris Gaffaney of New Zealand will serve as on-field umpires for the World T20 final at Lord's.

Defending champions Australia will take on first-time finalists South Africa for the mace from June 11-15 at the hallowed venue.

Richard Kettleborough, also from England, who has officiated in the finals of several marquee ICC events, including the Men's World Cup and the Champions Trophy has been appointed as the TV umpire, after having played the same role in the inaugural WTC 2021 final between India and New Zealand.

Menon has been named as the fourth umpire for the contest, after having served as the TV umpire for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup final in 2021.

Illingworth will be making history in the ultimate Test, having stood as an on-field umpire for all three WTC finals.

India reached the finals of the first two WTC cycles but both times stumbled at the last hurdle against New Zealand and Australia respectively.

ICC chairman Jay Shah commended the experience and merit of the appointed officials and expressed confidence in their performance, PTI reported.

"We are pleased to announce an experienced team of match officials for the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's, marking the culmination of a highly competitive two-year cycle of Test matches played around the world," Shah said in an ICC release.

"We strive to select the most qualified and deserving officials for all matches, and we are confident they will perform admirably. On behalf of the ICC, I wish them all the best and hope they enjoy this assignment." Illingworth, who was also part of the officiating team in the 2021 and 2023 finals, continues his consistent presence in marquee Test matches. He is also the current ICC Umpire of the Year, having won the David Shepherd Trophy for the fourth time in 2024.

Gaffaney had partnered with Illingworth in officiating last year's ICC Men's T20 World Cup final and also officiated in the WTC 2023 final between India and Australia.