Boon to replace Hurst as ICC match referee

[1]

Former Australia batsman David Boon will replace retiring compatriot Alan Hurst on the elite panel of International Cricket Council (ICC) match referees.

Hurst, who joined the panel in April 2004, will retire six days before his 61st birthday July 9 after officiating in the fifth and final ODI between England and Sri Lanka in Manchester. It will be Hurst’s 102nd ODI and make him just the 10th match referee to date to officiate in a century of ODIs.

Hurst’s 45th and last Test as a member of the elite panel will be the third and final game of the series between England and Sri Lanka in Southampton June 16-20.

The former fast bowler from Melbourne, who played 12 Tests and eight ODIs between 1974 and 1979, has also officiated in 25 T20s, including matches in the ICC World Twenty20 England 2009 and West Indies 2010.

"I have had seven wonderful years as an ICC match referee, a time that has provided me with lasting memories of some exceptional cricket matches, champion players and outstanding performances," said Hurst, who is currently refereeing the West Indies and Pakistan Test series in the Caribbean.

"I now look forward to moving on to the next phase in my life, spending more time with family and pursuing a range of interests and hobbies.”

Boon, 50, is currently general manager-cricket at Cricket Tasmania, and is also an Australia national selector. He will relinquish both those posts before taking over his assignment as an ICC match referee.

"I am excited with this appointment as it provides me with another opportunity to stay involved with this great sport," said Boon, whose international career spanned from 1984 to 1996. "Having played first-class cricket for nearly two decades and having been involved in marketing, cricket administration and national selection matters, I think I bring a lot of experience to the group which includes some of the most respected names in the sport."