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Asoka de Silva dropped from the Elite Panel
By S.R. Pathiravithana
Sri Lanka's only member in ICC's Elite Panel of umpires Asoka de Silva has been left out along with South African David Orchard and Russell Tiffin from New Zealand for the coming year. Making way into the Panel are Pakistan's Aleem Dar and Neil Mallender from England.

Commenting on the ICC decision the secretary of Sri Lanka Cricket Mohan de Silva said "We cannot do anything from this end. Those decisions are taken directly by the ICC and those also are made by the respective captains reports. But, anyway we will take the matter up at the next ICC meeting in New Zealand and there we have the right to forward names of those whom we feel have reached the expected standards."

The former Sri Lanka Test leg spinner Asoka de Silva who started his umpiring career quite late in his life and had a quick rise to the top was a disappointed man " I did my job to the best of my abilities without any fervour or favour, I know that I had an excellent World Cup during the preliminary rounds, but, ironically I did not get a chance to officiate in the semi-finals, obviously I am disappointed, however age is on my side, and I feel that I can make a comeback."

Meanwhile ICC Chief Malcolm Speed in a Sri Lanka Cricket media release was quoted as saying "Over the past two years we have seen a strong group of new umpires emerge with Billy Bowden, Simon Taufel, coming through last year and now Aleem Dar and Neil Mallender have also demonstrated that they are ready to take the next step in their careers,".

Decision on awarding contracts to the Emirates Elite Panel are made by Malcolm Speed, and the chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee-playing Sunil Gavaskar on the basis of recommendations from the ICC management.

Along with the retirement of umpire Srinivansan Venkatraghavan from India these changes mean that the Emirates Elite Panel will be reduced from eleven to nine umpires.

The new Elite Panel: Brent Billiy Bowden, Steve Bucknor, Aleem Dar, Darrel Hair, Daryl Harper, Rudi Koertzen, Neil Mallender, David Shepard and Simon Taufel.

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