KARACHI: Pakistan’s seasoned umpire Aleem Dar will officiate in the showpiece fixture between Australia and England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground when the 2015 World Cup begins from Saturday.

Aleem — Pakistan’s solitary match official at the 11th edition of the Feb 14-March 29 mega event — will be partnered by Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena on the field with Billy Bowden of New Zealand monitoring the TV replays and Joel Wilson of West Indies acting as the fourth umpire under the supervision of Jeff Crowe, the former New Zealand captain who will be the match referee.

Hours before the Melbourne clash, tournament’s co-hosts New Zealand face Sri Lanka at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch with South Africa’s Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong of England officiating as the on-field umpires with India’s Sundaram Ravi the TV official and Simon Fry of Australia the reserve umpire while the match referee of that match is ex-Australian batsman David Boon.

The high-profile Pakistan-India encounter — billed as the biggest match of the World Cup — at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide will have Englishmen Ian Gould and Richard Kettleborough supervising as on-field umpires with Australia’s Steve Davis as TV official and Michael Gough of England the fourth umpire under the supervision of the vastly-experienced ICC chief referee Ranjan Madugalle, who is a former Sri Lankan captain.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced match postings of all preliminary-round fixtures that conclude on March 15 with the Pakistan-Ireland tie in Adelaide.

The officials for the seven knock-out round matches — quarter-finals, semi-finals and final — will be named after the conclusion of 42 preliminary games.

Panel of match officials:

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Billy Bowden (New Zealand), Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Steve Davis (Australia), Marais Erasmus (South Africa), Ian Gould (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Richard Illingworth (England), Nigel Llong (England), Bruce Oxenford (Australia), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Rod Tucker (Australia), Johan Cloete (South Africa), Simon Fry (Australia), Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Michael Gough (England), Ranmore Martinesz (Sri Lanka), Ruchira Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka), Sundaram Ravi (India), Joel Wilson (West Indies).

Match referees: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Chris Broad (England), David Boon (Australia), Jeff Crowe (New Zealand), Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka).

Schedule with umpires’ postings:

Feb 14: New Zealand vs Sri Lanka at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. On-field: Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong; TV: Sundaram Ravi; Fourth: Simon Fry; Match referee: David Boon.

Feb 14: Australia vs England at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. On-field: Aleem Dar and Kumar Dharmasena; TV: Billy Bowden; Fourth: Joel Wilson; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Feb 15: South Africa vs Zimbabwe at Seddon Park, Hamilton. On-field: Rod Tucker and Ranmore Martinesz; TV: Paul Reiffel; Fourth: Ruchira Palliyaguruge; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Feb 15: India vs Pakistan at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On-field: Ian Gould and Richard Kettleborough; TV: Steve Davis; Fourth: Michael Gough; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Feb 16: West Indies vs Ireland at Saxton Oval, Nelson. On-field: Richard Illingworth and Bruce Oxenford; TV: Chris Gaffaney; Fourth: Johan Cloete; Match referee: Chris Broad.

Feb 17: New Zealand vs Scotland at University Oval, Dunedin. On-field: Nigel Llong and Simon Fry; TV: Marais Erasmus; Fourth: Sundaram Ravi; Match referee: David Boon.

Feb 18: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan at Manuka Oval, Canberra. On-field: Steve Davis and Joel Wilson; TV: Aleem Dar; Fourth: Richard Kettleborough; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Feb 19: Zimbabwe vs United Arab Emirates at Saxton Oval, Nelson. On-field: Johan Cloete and Chris Gaffaney; TV: Richard Illingworth; Fourth: Ranmore Martinesz; Match referee: Chris Broad.

Feb 20: New Zealand vs England at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. On-field: Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker; TV: Bruce Oxenford; Fourth: Ruchira Palliyaguruge; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Feb 21: Pakistan vs West Indies at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. On-field: Marais Erasmus and Nigel Llong; TV: Sundaram Ravi; Fourth: Simon Fry; Match referee: David Boon.

Feb 21: Australia vs Bangladesh at The Gabba, Brisbane. On-field: Billy Bowden and Kumar Dharmasena; TV: Ian Gould; Fourth: Michael Gough; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Feb 22: Sri Lanka vs Sri Lanka at University Oval, Dunedin. On-field: Richard Illingworth and Chris Gaffaney; TV: Johan Cloete; Fourth: Bruce Oxenford; Match referee: Chris Broad.

Feb 22: India vs South Africa at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. On-field: Aleem Dar and Richard Kettleborough; TV: Steve Davis; Fourth: Joel Wilson; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Feb 23: England vs Scotland at Hagley Oval, Christchurch. On-field: Rod Tucker and Sundaram Ravi; TV: Marais Erasmus; Fourth: Paul Reiffel; Match referee: David Boon.

Feb 24: West Indies vs Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval, Canberra. On-field: Steve Davis and Ian Gould; TV: Ranmore Martinesz. Fourth: Richard Kettleborough; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Feb 25: Ireland vs United Arab Emirates at The Gabba, Brisbane. On-field: Nigel Llong and Michael Gough; TV: Kumar Dharmasena; Fourth: Billy Bowden; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Feb 26: Afghanistan vs Scotland at University Oval, Dunedin. On-field: Simon Fry and Ruchira Palliyaguruge; TV: Rod Tucker; Fourth: Chris Gaffaney; Match referee: David Boon.

Feb 26: Sri Lanka vs Bangladesh at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. On-field: Aleem Dar and Paul Reiffel; TV: Richard Kettleborough; Fourth: Joel Wilson; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

Feb 27: South Africa vs West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. On-field: Steve Davis and Ian Gould; TV: Ranmore Martinesz; Fourth: Aleem Dar; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

Feb 28: New Zealand vs Australia at Eden Park, Auckland. On-field: Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth; TV: Sundaram Ravi. Fourth: Johan Cloete. Match referee: Chris Broad.

Feb 28: India vs United Arab Emirates at WACA Ground, Perth. On-field: Billy Bowden and Michael Gough; TV: Nigel Llong; Fourth: Kumar Dharmasena; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

March 1: England vs Sri Lanka at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. On-field: Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker; TV: Chris Gaffaney; Fourth: Simon Fry. Match referee: David Boon.

March 1: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe at The Gabba, Brisbane. On-field: Richard Kettleborough and Joel Wilson; TV: Paul Reiffel; Fourth: Ruchira Palliyaguruge; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

March 2: REST DAY

March 3: South Africa vs Ireland at Manuka Oval, Canberra. On-field: Steve Davis and Ranmore Martinesz; TV: Ian Gould; Fourth: Aleem Dar; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

March 4: Pakistan vs United Arab Emirates at McLean Park, Napier. On-field: Johan Cloete and Sundaram Ravi. TV: Richard Illingworth; Fourth: Marais Erasmus; Match referee: Chris Broad.

March 4: Australia vs Afghanistan at WACA Ground, Perth. On-field: Kumar Dharmasena and Michael Gough; TV: Billy Bowden; Fourth: Nigel Llong; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

March 5: Bangladesh vs Scotland at Saxton Oval, Nelson. On-field: Bruce Oxenford and Simon Fry; TV: Rod Tucker; Fourth: Chris Gaffaney; Match referee: David Boon.

March 6: India vs West Indies at WACA Ground, Perth. On-field: Kumar Dharmasena and Nigel Llong; TV: Billy Bowden. Fourth: Michael Gough; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

March 7: Pakistan vs South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland. On-field: Richard Kettleborough and Bruce Oxenford; TV: Chris Gaffaney; Fourth: Sundaram Ravi; Match referee: Chris Broad.

March 7: Zimbabwe vs Ireland at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. On-field Paul Reiffel and Ruchira Palliyaguruge; TV: Joel Wilson; Fourth: Ranmore Martinesz; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

March 8: New Zealand vs Afghanistan at McLean Park, Napier. On-field: Marais Erasmus and Johan Cloete; TV: Steve Davis; Fourth: Rod Tucker. Match referee: David Boon.

March 8: Australia vs Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. On-field: Aleem Dar and Ian Gould; TV: Richard Illingworth; Fourth: Michael Gough; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

March 9: England vs Bangladesh at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On-field: Billy Bowden and Paul Reiffel; TV: Simon Fry; Fourth: Ranmore Martinesz; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

March 10: India vs Ireland at Seddon Park, Hamilton. On-field: Kumar Dharmasena and Richard Kettleborough; TV: Johan Cloete; Fourth: Nigel Llong; Match referee: Chris Broad.

March 11: Sri Lanka vs Scotland at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. On-field: Richard Illingworth and Joel Wilson; TV: Michael Gough; Fourth: Ian Gould; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

March 12: South Africa vs United Arab Emirates at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. On-field: Steve Davis and Rod Tucker; TV: Bruce Oxenford; Fourth: Aleem Dar; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

March 13: New Zealand vs Bangladesh at Seddon Park, Hamilton. On-field: Kumar Dharmasena and Richard Kettleborough; TV: Nigel Llong; Fourth: Johan Cloete; Match referee: Chris Broad.

March 13: England vs Afghanistan at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. On-field: Billy Bowden and Sundaram Ravi; TV: Marais Erasmus; Fourth: Ruchira Palliyaguruge; Match referee: David Boon.

March 14: India vs Zimbabwe at Eden Park, Auckland. On-field: Bruce Oxenford and Chris Gaffaney; TV: Rod Tucker; Fourth: Steve Davis; Match referee: Roshan Mahanama.

March 14: Australia vs Scotland at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. On-field: Ian Gould and Richard Illingworth; TV: Joel Wilson; Fourth: Michael Gough; Match referee: Jeff Crowe.

March 15: West Indies vs United Arab Emirates at McLean Park, Napier. On-field: Aleem Dar and Ranmore Martinesz; TV: Richard Kettleborough; Fourth: Kumar Dharmasena; Match referee: Chris Broad.

March 15: Pakistan vs Ireland at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On-field: Marais Erasmus and Ruchira Palliyaguruge; TV: Simon Fry; Fourth: Paul Reiffel; Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2015

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