Xtra Time Web Desk: The Indian team management will feel relieved not to see the name of Rochard Kettleborough in the list of match officials for the second semi final of the ongoing T20 World Cup against England at Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 10.
Richard Kettleborough has proved to be very unlucky for the Indian team in big ICC tournaments starting with the 2014 T20 World Cup final against Sri Lanka in which India lost. Richard was one of the match officials during the 2015 World Cup semi final between India and Australia played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The Men in Blue was on the losing side. MS Dhoni led India were knocked out of the West Indies in the semi final of the 2016 T20 World Cup in India and guess who was one of the two umpires. It was Richard Kettleborough.
The Indian team was once again on the losing side in the 2017 Champions Trophy final against Pakistan at the Oval, with Kettleborough once again being one of the match officials. The English umpire once again proved unlucky for the Indian team in the 2019 World Cup semi final against New Zealand at Old Trafford in Manchester.
Virat Kohli led India lost the 2019 World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Edgbaston and Kettleborough was one of the match officials. Richard proved unlucky for the Indian team in the group league match against New Zealand in the 2022 T20 World Cup
Even during the South Africa game which Rohit and his boys lost in the ongoing T20 World Cup, Richard Kettleborough was one of the umpires. So, the Indian team management will feel a lot happy to not see the name of Kettleborough who has seemed unlucky for the Indian team in ICC events.
As far as the match official appointments for the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 are concerned, ICC have been announced the names.
For the first semi final between New Zealand v Pakistan to be played at Sydney Cricket Ground – Marais Erasmus and Richard Illingworth (on-field), Richard Kettleborough (third umpire), Michael Gough (fourth umpire) and Chris Broad (match referee) will be the match officials.
The match officials for the second semi final between India and England will be Kumar Dharmasena and Paul Reiffel (on-field), Chris Gaffaney (third umpire), Rod Tucker (fourth umpire) and David Boon (match referee).
Appointments of the match officials for the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground will be announced once the outcome of both semi-finals are known.