Dubai, 12 November: Australia’s Simon Taufel will lead the match officials’ panel at the DP World ILT20 for a fifth consecutive season, beginning as match referee for the opening game on 21 November.
The five-time ICC Umpire of the Year (2004-2008) will oversee defending champions Desert Vipers against MI Emirates at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, a rematch of last season’s final. The fifth edition runs from 21 November to 20 December 2026.
The officials’ panel
Taufel will share match referee duties with former Sri Lanka batter Roshan Mahanama, who played 52 Tests and 213 ODIs. New Zealand’s Chris Brown and England’s Martin Saggers will stand in the opener, with Australia’s Paul Wilson as third umpire and New Zealand’s Wayne Knights as fourth umpire.
Wilson and West Indies’ Leslie Reifer have been appointed specialist TV umpires and will use the HE Smart Replay system. The panel also includes ICC Elite Panel umpires Richard Illingworth and Adrian Holdstock, Afghanistan’s Ahmad Pakteen, and UAE officials Aasif Iqbal, Akbar Ali Khan and Shiju Mannil.
Two umpires each from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will shadow the panel during the league stage, supported by former ICC umpires coach Dennis Burns.
‘Keep the spotlight on the players’
Taufel said: “It’s a privilege to return for a fifth season of the DP World ILT20. We’re strengthened this year by ICC Elite Panel umpires Richard Illingworth and Adrian Holdstock, alongside Roshan Mahanama, talented umpires from across the world, and an ever-improving group of UAE officials. Our focus remains to keep the spotlight on the players and the quality of cricket through officiating excellence.”
New playing conditions
Updated Season 5 playing conditions take effect from the opening match. A new “batter zone” will be used to judge wides on both sides, and umpires have been told to apply it strictly to stop negative bowling. The 60-second stop clock between overs will now also apply to the batting side, and after two warnings in an innings the fielding side will be awarded five penalty runs.
The opener starts at 6.30pm local time (8pm IST). Players in the league include Babar Azam, Rashid Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Faf du Plessis and Heinrich Klaasen. See the latest world cricket news.
