In a big step for Indian umpiring, S Ravi has become just the second Indian Umpire after S Venkataragavan to be inducted into the ICC’s elite panel of umpires who officiate test matches. Chris Gaffaney was also added.
The umpires replace the outgoing kiwi Billly Bowden and the retiring Steve Davis. Former Umpiring great Simon Taufel who is also an advisor and a mentor of the BCCI ‘s elite panel said that he indeed saw the change coming and said that Indian umpiring standards and S Ravi have made giant strides towards its achievement.
Both Ravi and Gaffaney expressed their keenness to take up ‘new umpiring challenges’ and maintain the high standard if officiating the gentleman’s game. The Elite panel of Umpires for 2015-16 include the likes of Aleem Dar, Sri Lankan Kumara Dharmasena, South African Maria Erasmus and English umpires Nigel Llong and Richard Kettleborough.
The team was picked by the umpiring selection panel of the ICC which consist of the general manager Geoff Allardice, Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle, David Lloyd and S Venkataragavan.
