LONDON, Dec 11: ICC chief referee Ranjan Madugalle will lead a team of experienced match officials for the Australia v South Africa Test series beginning in Adelaide on Friday.

Madugalle is a former Sri Lankan Test captain, recently appointed by the ICC to the new position of chief referee. This will be his 12th series as a referee since joining the international panel in 1994.

Srinivas Venkataraghavan (Venkat) from India will stand as the ICC umpire in the first Test in Adelaide with Eddie Nicholls of the West Indies taking over for the second Test in Melbourne.

England’s David Shepherd, another vastly experienced international umpire, will take the final Test in Sydney.

Between them the three officials have a combined total of 121 Test appearances as umpires and Venkat was also a prominent Test player and captain of India.

The series between the leading two teams in the ICC’s Test championship will decide who tops the world rankings.—Reuters