Match referee Crowe completes 200 ODIs

Dubai, July 9 (IANS) New Zealander Jeff Crowe of the Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees added another feather to his cap when he became only the third person, after Ranjan Madugalle (279) and Chris Broad (245), to officiate in 200 One-Day Internationals (ODI).

Crowe achieved the feat when he took the field for the toss in the second ODI between Sri Lanka and South Africa in Pallekele Wednesday. In addition to 200 ODIs, Crowe has also officiated in 65 Tests and 46 Twenty20 Internationals.

In his playing career, Crowe represented New Zealand in 39 Tests (six as captain) and 75 ODIs (16 as captain) between 1983-90, in which he scored 1,601 and 1,518 runs, respectively.

He made his debut as a match referee in April 2004 when he officiated the West Indies-England ODI in Georgetown, Guyana.

"Every milestone is important and this one is special too. It is an honour and privilege to be associated with this great sport and to get the opportunity to work together with an excellent and highly professional group of people," Crowe said.

"I would like to thank a number of people and especially my family, fellow match officials, players and the ICC staff for all the support they have provided. I have been fortunate to have all these people around me throughout my career."

Crowe said he was looking forward to the 2015 World Cup which will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.

"Like any other New Zealander, I am waiting for the World Cup and I look forward to playing my role in making it a successful event. I have no doubts that it is going to be another world-class event."

Senior ICC Umpires and Referees Manager Vince Van Der Bijl said: "Jeff is an integral part of the ICC Match Referee Panel. His in-depth knowledge of the game and excellent relationships around the world make him a fine referee. The match officials' community and management would like to congratulate him on his 200th ODI."