The International Cricket Council (ICC) has named Richard Illingworth as Umpire of the Year 2024. Richard Illingworth officiated as the on-field umpire during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 Final match between India and South Africa, which took place at the Kensington Oval, Bridgetown in Barbados on June 29.
Illingworth began his umpiring career in 2005, starting with women’s cricket before moving to men’s cricket in 2010. He has been part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires since 2013 and has officiated in ICC events like the ODI World Cup, Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, and World Test Championship Final.
International Cricket Council Announces Richard Illingworth as the ICC Umpire of the Year
The International Cricket Council took to its X (formerly known as Twitter) account to announce Richard Illingworth as the ICC Umpire of the Year for the third time. The 61-year-old was also a former cricketer who played for England in the 1992 World Cup.
“Congratulations to Richard Illingworth on being named the 2024 ICC Umpire of the Year 🌟,” wrote the caption.
Congratulations to Richard Illingworth on being named the 2024 ICC Umpire of the Year 🌟 pic.twitter.com/EPG8ffDaUf
— ICC (@ICC) January 26, 2025
Illingworth was named ICC Umpire of the Year in 2019 and 2023. He has officiated in many high-profile matches, including the semi-final between India and New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup and the 2023 World Cup final between India and Australia. He also won the David Shepherd Trophy in 2019.
Richard Illingworth Played Nine Tests and 25 ODIs for England
Richard Illingworth played nine Tests and 25 ODIs for England as a left-arm spinner. He also had a strong batting record in domestic cricket. Over his career, he played 376 first-class matches, taking 831 wickets at a decent average of 31.54 and scoring 7027 runs in 435 innings at an average of 22.45.
The left-arm spinner picked up 19 wickets in Tests and 30 wickets in ODIs. He last played for England in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in 1996. Illingworth played four matches in the 1996 World Cup but never played international cricket again.
Richard Illingworth Participated in a World Cup Final Both as a Player and an Umpire
Richard Illingworth is one of only two umpires, along with Kumar Dharmasena, to have participated in a World Cup final both as a player and an umpire. In the 1992 World Cup, Illingworth was part of the England team that reached the final against Pakistan. he officiated in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 final.
Apart from his umpiring career, Illingworth had a successful cricketing career. With an impressive first-class cricket career, he stands out as one of the few umpires who have played international cricket. He has officiated in 202 international matches, including 74 Test matches, 93 ODIs, and 35 T20I matches.
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