SYDNEY, Sept 20: After some initial controversy, appointment of umpires for the Ashes is also going ahead smoothly with Cricket Australia (CA) announcing that neutral umpires will stand in much-anticipated series.

The decision rules out possibility of ICC's Umpire of the Year for the past two years, Simon Taufel, who belongs to New South Wales, as a possible appointment for the series.

“While we understand there are some people wanting top two umpires in the world, we are firmly committed to neutral umpire system and have no plans at all to push for change,” CA spokesman Peter Young told Herald Sun.—Agencies