Bhathiya Barukanda
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated Ranjan Madugalle on becoming the first Match Referee to officiate in 400 Men’s ODIs.
Madugalle, the longest-serving member of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, reached the landmark in the third and final ODI between Sri Lanka and India in Colombo on Wednesday. To mark the achievement, he was presented with a plaque on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the ICC by SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.
Madugalle, a stylish batter who played 21 Tests and 63 ODIs for Sri Lanka, has also refereed in a record 216 Men’s Test matches, 163 Men’s T20Is, 14 Women’s ODIs and eight Women’s T20Is.
Sean Easey, ICC Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees praised Madugalle for reaching this milestone in his career that has already spanned over three decades.
Sean Easey: “Ranjan’s portfolio of refereeing assignments is large and this latest mark of 400 ODIs is quite incredible.
“The sheer volume of his work reflects the kind of passion he has for cricket and his role. On behalf of the ICC, I thank Ranjan for his hard work and wish him all the best for this match and beyond.”
Madugalle said he had enjoyed officiating in matches the world over and he never thought he would have such a long career as a match official.
Ranjan Madugalle: “It has been a great honour and privilege to have officiated in international cricket for so many years and it’s almost dreamlike to be reaching this milestone.
“I was pleased when I got the opportunity to be associated with the game after my time as a cricketer but never thought that it would stretch to over three decades!
“During this period, I have had the chance to officiate all over the world and in several World Cups, relishing every moment.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, Sri Lanka Cricket and my colleagues with whom I have worked over the years for their support and friendship, as well as my family and friends, without whose support it would not have been possible to have come this far.”
Ranjan Madugalle as a player and Match Referee:
- Played 21 Tests and 63 ODIs for Sri Lanka between 1979 and 1988, including his country’s first-ever Test Match and in three World Cups – 1979, 1983 and 1987
- He scored 1,029 Test runs, including one century, and added a further 950 runs in ODI cricket
- His first appointment as an ICC Match Referee was in December 1993 for the Test Match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Karachi
- His first ODI appointment came later the same month between the same two teams at the same venue
- His 31-year career as an ICC Match Referee is the longest by anyone in history
- In total, he has refereed a record 216 Men’s Test Matches and now a record 400 Men’s One Day Internationals, as well as 163 Men’s T20 Internationals
- He was Match Referee for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Finals in 1999, 2003, 2015 and 2019, and officiated in a total of seven World Cups
- He was also Match Referee for the finals of ICC Champions Trophy 2004, 2006 and 2013 and of ICC Men’s T20 World Cups of 2007, 2010, 2016 and 2021
- He has also refereed 14 Women’s ODI matches and eight Women’s T20 Internationals
Source: sri lanka cricket.lk
