The Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Referees is composed of former international cricket players who are appointed by the ICC to oversee all Test match, One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket matches in the capacity of Match referee. The referees are ultimately in charge of all international cricket matches, and act as the ICC's representative at the grounds. In addition they are responsible for imposing penalties for infringements of the ICC Code of Conduct, and so being ex-international cricketers they can ensure that the punishments dealt out are just. The referees also form part of the ICC's umpire performance review, submitting reports about the umpires after each match.
As of the 28 March 2024 the ICC Elite Panel consisted of:[1] [2]
| Referee | Date of Birth | Age | Tests | ODIs | T20Is | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Boon[3] | 29 December 1960 | 73 | 171 | 100 |  Australia | |
| Jeff Crowe[4] | 14 September 1958 | 115 | 326 | 167 |  New Zealand | |
| Ranjan Madugalle[5] | 22 April 1959 | 214 | 394 | 139 |  Sri Lanka | |
| Andy Pycroft[6] | 6 June 1956 | 93 | 221 | 135 |  Zimbabwe | |
| Richie Richardson[7] | 12 January 1962 | 47 | 93 | 77 | West Indies | |
| Javagal Srinath[8] | 31 August 1969 | 65 | 269 | 118 |  India | |
The following people were included in the inaugural panel of elite referees but have since retired:
| Referee | Date of Birth | Joined Panel | Left Panel | Tests | ODIs | T20Is | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 February 1949 | 2002 | 2004 | 15 | 80 | 0 | India | ||
| 3 July 1952 | 2002 | 2004 | 15 | 35 | 0 |  Pakistan | ||
| 31 August 1944 | 2002 | 2007 | 53 | 133 | 2 | West Indies | ||
| 15 September 1946 | 2002 | 2008 | 47 | 162 | 15 |  South Africa | ||
| 29 September 1957 | 2003 | 2024 | 123 | 361 | 136 | England | ||
| 15 July 1950 | 2004 | 2011 | 45 | 102 | 26 | Australia | ||
| 31 May 1966 | 2004 | 2015 | 61 | 222 | 35 | Sri Lanka |
See main article: 2006 ball-tampering controversy. Mike Procter was criticised for failing to persuade umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove to continue with the match, which was awarded to England when Pakistan refused to take the field in protest at being accused of ball tampering.[9]
See main article: 2007 Cricket World Cup Final. Jeff Crowe was seen as ultimately responsible for the failure of the five match officials (himself and umpires Bucknor, Dar, Koertzen and Bowden) to adhere to the ICC's playing conditions regarding to the number of overs required before Duckworth-Lewis can determine the outcome of a match.
This resulted in Australia and Sri Lanka having to play out three overs in near darkness, since they had been told they would otherwise have to return and play out the overs the following day. In the aftermath of this fiasco, Crowe apologised on behalf of the playing control team for the error.[10]
Most Test matches as a referee as of 28 July 2024:[11]
| Referee | Period | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–present | 216 | |
| 2003–present | 123 | |
| 2004–present | 121 | |
| 2009–present | 95 | |
| 2011–present | 76 | |
Most ODI matches as a referee as of 7 August 2024:[12]
| Referee | Period | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1993–present | 400 | |
| 2004–present | 361 | |
| 2004–present | 329 | |
| 2006–present | 268 | |
| 2009-present | 228 | |
Most T20I matches as a referee as of 30 July 2024:[13]
| Referee | Period | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 2005–present | 186 | |
| 2006–present | 163 | |
| 2009–present | 159 | |
| 2005–present | 138 | |
| 2006–present | 131 | |