LONDON, April 5: Three officials have been added to the elite panel of umpires conceived by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in mid-2001 following a series of umpiring controversies and allegations of match-fixing in the sport.

Billy Bowden of New Zealand along with Australians Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel were chosen to join the existing eight umpires based on experience gained from the panel’s first 12 months, ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said on Friday.

“The ICC has been monitoring the performance of these three umpires on a regular basis, particularly during this World Cup, where each of them has performed with distinction,” Speed said in an ICC news release.

“In its first year of operation, the eight members of the panel have officiated in 37 Test matches and 133 one-day internationals, including the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka and the ICC Cricket World Cup.”

“There was always the provision to extend the number of umpires on the panel and having reviewed the first 12 months’ workload and associated travelling commitments, we have decided to appoint three new officials.

The others are Steve Bucknor (West Indies), Asoka de Silva (Sri Lanka), Daryl Harper (Australia), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa), Dave Orchard (South Africa), David Shepherd (England), Russell Tiffin (Zimbabwe), Srinivas Venkataraghavan (India).

All the major cricket powers except Pakistan now have at least one member on the panel.

“Darrell Hair (aged 50) is a highly experienced umpire who was close to selection on the original elite panel, while Billy Bowden and Simon Taufel, at 40 and 32 respectively, represent the next generation of international umpires,” Speed said.—Reuters