KARACHI, Feb 27: The International Cricket Council (ICC) Wednesday said it would finalize the make-up of its five-man match referees panel this week that comes into effect from April 1.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, in a statement to Dawn, said he and Sunil Gavaskar, chairman ICC cricket committee, will review the recommendations of Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle before finalizing the list.

Speed said Madugalle, the ICC chief referee, had carefully considered and interviewed around 30 nominations that were sent by the 10 Test playing countries.

Madugalle was appointed as ICC Chief Referee in November last year and was given the specific task of the initial screening of candidates for the panel and producing a shortlist of twelve candidates for consideration by Speed and Gavaskar.

The ICC said Pakistan Cricket Board speculations regarding referees panel was unwarranted.

“The country of origin is of no consequence in the selection process. Sunil Gavaskar, as Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, and I have been charged by the ICC’s Executive Board to select and appoint the five best referees irrespective of their origin.

“This process is now reaching its conclusion and I expect to be able to announce the four additional appointees in the very near future.”

The PCB, quoting its “sources” within the ICC, said earlier this week that none of its three nominees had succeeded to impress the selectors. The PCB had nominated Naushad Ali, Talat Ali and Wasim Raja for the panel.