Asad Rauf, Billy Bowden Dropped from ICC Elite Panel of Umpires -Tuesday June 25,2013

Pakistan's Asad Rauf, who is being investigated in the IPL spot-fixing scandal, and long-serving New Zealander Billy Bowden were on Tuesday dropped from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires after an annual review of their performance

New Zealander Billy Bowden was included in the elite panel in 2003 and umpired in 75 Tests, 181 One-Day Internationals and 19 Twenty20 Internationals.

Pakistan's Azad Rauf stood in 47 Tests, 98 One-Day Internationals and 23 Twenty20 Internationals and was a member of the elite panel since 2006.

Asad Rauf &Billy Bowden been replaced by former Test cricketers Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel.

                                                               Richard Illingworth

                                                                        Paul Reiffel

Richard Illingworth has been umpiring in international cricket since July 2010 and has so far stood in 4 Tests, 16 One-Day Internationals and 7 Twenty20 Internationals.

Paul Reiffel, who made his international umpiring debut in January 2009, has officiated in 4 Tests, 30 One-Day Internationals and 9 Twenty20 Internationals


Illingworth and Reiffel have joined Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Steve Davis, Marais Erasmus, Ian Gould, Tony Hill, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford and Rod Tucker in the panel for the 2013-2014 season, commencing July 1, 2013.