agencies
LONDON, 25 JUNE: Pakistan&’s Asad Rauf (in photo right), who is being investigated in the Indian Premier League spot-fixing scandal, and long-serving New Zealander Billy Bowden  (in photo left) were today dropped from the International Cricket Council’s elite panel of umpires after annual reviews of the duo’s performances.
Rauf, who is being probed for allegedly taking expensive gifts from suspected bookies, and Bowden have been replaced by former Test cricketers Richard Illingworth and Paul Reiffel.
“The selection panel considered the overall performances of the umpires over the past 12 months when deciding which umpires would be offered contracts for 2013-4. In Asad’s case, it is important to emphasise that the recent speculation linking his name to the IPL spot-fixing investigation was not considered during the selectors’ deliberations,” said Geoff Allardice, chairman of the ICC umpires selection panel.
Rauf, who has denied any wrongdoing, was earlier withdrawn from officiating in the Champions Trophy here.
“It is exciting to see Richard and Paul promoted to the elite panel, but it is also important to acknowledge and appreciate the outstanding contributions of Asad and Billy over a long period of time,” said Allardice.
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 on the panel for the 2013-2014 season, starting on 1 July, 2013. Illingworth has been umpiring in international cricket since July 2010 and has so far stood in four Tests, 16 One-Day Internationals and seven Twenty20 Internationals.
Reiffel, who made his international umpiring debut in January 2009, has officiated in four Tests, 30 ODIs and nine Twenty20 Internationals.
The elite panel was selected by the ICC’s umpires selection panel consisting of Allardice, the ICC’s general manager (cricket), chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle, ex-England player and coach and umpire, David Lloyd, and Srinivas Venkataraghavan, the former India captain and international umpire.Bowden was included in the elite panel in 2003 and umpired in 75 Tests, 181 ODIs and 19 Twenty20 Internationals.
Rauf stood in 47 Tests, 98 ODIs and 23 Twenty20 Internationals and was a member of the elite panel since 2006.

Srinivasan yet to decide
CHENNAI, 25 JUNE: Embattled Board of Control for Cricket in India president N Srinivasan, who stepped aside after the Indian Premier League’s spot-fixing scandal, has not yet made up his mind about attending the International Cricket Council’s annual conference in London and will decide on it closer to the date of sub-committee meetings. The conference started today and would continue till 29 June. There is intense speculation on whether conference would be attended by Srinivasan, who stepped aside as BCCI president after his son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for alleged betting and spot-fixing. If he travels to London, Srinivasan will attend three ICC sub-committee meetings, including the one relevant to finance and commercial affairs. Jagmohan Dalmiya, looking after the BCCI’s everyday affairs since Srinivasan stepped aside, will represent India at the ICC board meeting. BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel will attend the chief executives’ meeting, while IPL chief executive officer Sundar Raman will attend the working group meeting of CEOs. agencies