Virender Sharma and Prakash Bhatt Selected as Match Officials for ICC U19 World Cup

Match Officials Announced for ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup

Dubai, January 8: Virender Sharma and Prakash Bhatt from India have been included in the list of 21 match officials for the upcoming ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup, which will take place in Zimbabwe and Namibia starting January 15.

The ICC has confirmed that 17 umpires and four match referees from its International Panels will officiate in the tournament, representing 13 different countries.

Among the umpires, two are from Zimbabwe, including Forster Mutizwa, a former international player with 21 matches to his name, who will be joined by fellow Zimbabwean Iknow Chabi.

The officiating team also includes seasoned professionals like Deighton Butler from the West Indies and Graham Lloyd from England, who follows in the footsteps of his father, David Lloyd, a well-known former umpire and broadcaster.

The match referees for the tournament are Dean Cosker (England), Prakash Bhatt (India), Graeme Labrooy (Sri Lanka), and Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), all of whom possess extensive international experience.

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta emphasized the significance of the World Cup as a platform for umpires to demonstrate their skills and prepare for higher levels of competition. He stated,

“This ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup presents a fantastic opportunity for emerging talents in the sport to shine, while also serving as a valuable recognition system for aspiring match officials.

“We anticipate that this will act as a crucial stepping stone in their officiating careers,” he added.

The tournament is scheduled from January 15 to February 6, 2026, featuring 16 teams competing in 41 matches, with the final taking place on February 6 at Harare Sports Club.

On the inaugural day, India will face the United States, Zimbabwe will compete against Scotland, and Tanzania will make its tournament debut against the West Indies.

Matches will be held at five venues: Harare Sports Club, Takashinga Sports Club, and Queens Sports Club in Zimbabwe, as well as Namibia Cricket Ground and HP Oval in Namibia.

The competition format includes four groups of four teams each, leading to the Super Six stage, followed by the semi-finals and the final in Harare.

Match officials for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 include:

Umpires: Ahmad Shah Durrani (Afghanistan), Aidan Seaver (Ireland), Cory Black (New Zealand), Deighton Butler (West Indies), Faisal Afridi (Pakistan), Forster Mutizwa (Zimbabwe), Graham Lloyd (England), Iknow Chabi (Zimbabwe), Lubabalo Gcuma (South Africa), Masudur Mukul (Bangladesh), Nitin Bathi (Netherlands), Prageeth Rambukwella (Sri Lanka), Russell Warren (England), Shaun Haig (New Zealand), Shawn Craig (Australia), Virender Sharma (India), Zahid Bassarath (West Indies).

Referees: Dean Cosker (England), Graeme La Brooy (Sri Lanka), Neeyamur Rahul (Bangladesh), Prakash Bhatt (India).