KARACHI, March 26: West Indian Steve Bucknor and South African Rudi Koertzen have been appointed as umpires for the two-Test series between Pakistan and New Zealand.

South African Mike Proctor will be the match referee for the series that also includes three-match one-day series. The rubber is scheduled between April 21 and May 12.

The ICC announcement further said Bucknor will also supervize the one-dayers scheduled on April 21, 24 and 27 at Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore.

Bucknor’s previous visit to Pakistan ended in controversy when he allowed the third and final Test between Pakistan and England at National Stadium to complete in near darkness. The Jamaican had over-ruled Pakistan’s complain of not sighting the ball.

However, that is unlikely to repeat again as the ICC has made it mandatory for the use of floodlights for completion of overs.

Bucknor and Koertzen are in the elite panel of umpires that comes into effect from April 1. According to new ICC ruling, the Tests will be supervized by third country umpires while one third country umpire and one home umpire will stand in the one-day.