Umpire Llong joins ICC panel

Nigel Llong has been selected to replace Billy Doctrove on the International Cricket Council (ICC) panel of elite umpires for the 2012/13 season, the global governing body announced Monday. The 43-year-old Englishman has come in for Doctrove following the West Indian official’s retirement from the elite panel last week. Llong, who will take up his place on the panel on July 1, has already umpired in 12 Tests, 55 one-day internationals and 16 Twenty20 internationals. A left-handed batsman and an off-spinner for Kent from 1990-1998, Llong played in 68 first-class matches, scoring 3,024 runs and taking 35 wickets. Meanwhile the 12-man elite panel — deemed by the ICC to be cricket’s leading umpires — will be joined for the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September and October by Australia’s Bruce Oxenford. The 52-year-old Oxenford has so far officiated in eight Tests, 34 ODIs and 11 T20Is. He was one of the six umpires who had been named to stand alongside the elite panelists in last year’s World Cup after being identified, said the ICC, as “an emerging and talented match official”. From khaleejtimes