Cricket: Bowden overlooked for Super Series

New Zealand's top cricket umpire Billy Bowden has missed a coveted spot on the panel for next month's Super Series in Australia.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced Pakistan's Aleem Dar, Australia's Darrell Hair, South Africa's Rudi Koertzen and Australia's Simon Taufel as the umpires for the series.

Despite Bowden's accurate performances under pressure during his three tests in the recent Ashes series, he was surprisingly overlooked.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed explained that the best-performing members of the elite panel had been chosen.

"The Super Series is a contest for the top players in the world so it is only fitting that the best-performing officials should be appointed to stand in the matches," Speed said.

"All of these officials have excellent track records and they will be an important part of what promises to be a very exciting series."

Taufel and Koertzen will officiate in the six-day test between Australia and the Rest of the World starting in Sydney on October 14.

Taufel has stood in 13 one-day international matches at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but due to the policy of neutral umpires for all test cricket has never officiated in a test match in his home state.

Sri Lanka's Ranjan Madugalle will be match referee for the three one-day internationals in Melbourne and the test.

A new system of referral and consultation between the on-field umpires and the television umpire will apply in all three one-day internationals and the test.

Run outs and stumpings will be referred in the normal way to the TV umpire, with the TV umpire making the decision.

In respect of all other decisions, the on-field umpires will have the discretion to consult with the TV umpire before making the decision.

Umpire appointments:-

First one-dayer, October 5, Melbourne: Simon Taufel, Aleem Dar, Rudi Koertzen (TV).

Second one-dayer, October 7, Melbourne: Koertzen, Darrell Hair, Dar (TV).

Third one-dayer, October 9, Melbourne: Hair, Dar, Taufel (TV).

Test, October 14-19, Sydney: Taufel, Koertzen, Hair (TV).

- NZPA