Malayali umpire Nitin Menon skips Champions Trophy as Indian officials boycott Pakistan

Following the BCCI's refusal to send the national team to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, officials from India have also decided to skip the high-profile event in the neighbouring country.

Nitin Menon and Javagal Srinath, the only Indians in ICC's Elite panel of umpires and referees respectively will not be part of the Champions Trophy. Their names were absent from the 12-member ICC panel of umpires and referees released on Wednesday.

Two Sri Lankans, a Pakistani and a Bangladeshi, are part of the list of officials. The Champions Trophy is being held in Pakistan and the UAE. While Pakistan is the primary host nation, the UAE was included as a neutral venue to host the Men in Blue due to diplomatic tension between India and Pakistan. As the ICC events require umpires from neutral countries for matches, Menon and Srinath cannot officiate the event in the UAE as well.

A report in the Times of India said that while Srinath had asked for leave to be with his family, Menon had cited personal reasons to miss the Champions Trophy.

Srinath was a former Indian fast bowler who took over 550 international wickets in a decade-long career. Menon, who played domestic cricket, is a Malayali based in Indore.

Menon's father, Narendra, was an umpire, while his brother Nikhil has officiated national-level matches. Narendra is a native of Thrissur, and his wife Geetha, is from Aluva. Menon's wife, Sangeetha, is also a Malayali.

Match Officials for Champions Trophy
Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid, Rodney Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson.
Referees: David Boon, Ranjan Madugalle, Andrew Pycroft.