Australian umpire Ben Treloar to officiate 2 Ranji Trophy matches in India

Australian umpire Ben Treloar will officiate two Ranji Trophy matches in India as part of an exchange program of cricket officials between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and Cricket Australia. In a reciprocal agreement, Indian umpire Parashar Joshi will travel to Australia to officiate in two Sheffield Shield matches and one One Day Cup match.

Treloar’s stint in India will begin with Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match against Gujarat, scheduled for October 18-21. He will then officiate in Mumbai’s match against Haryana from October 26-29.

The Australian brings considerable domestic experience to the program having played in 30 first-class matches, 20 List A matches and 39 Big Bash League matches. She has also featured in two Women’s One Day Internationals and four Women’s T20 Internationals.

In addition to his duties on the field, Treloar serves as Cricket New South Wales’ Umpire Education Officer and works to develop upcoming umpires. His contribution to umpires’ education earned him four George Borwick Memorial Awards from the New South Wales Cricket Umpires and Scorers’ Association.

Joshi, meanwhile, will begin his Australian stint in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania at the Gabba from November 11-14. He will return to the same venue on November 16 to take part in the teams’ One Day Cup match before officiating the Sheffield Shield clash between New South Wales and Queensland at the Sydney:2CA25 Court from the Sydney Cricket Ground in November.

Joshi has featured in 19 first-class matches, 32 List A matches and 40 T20 matches for India, including matches in the Indian Premier League and the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.

2016: When an Australian referee fell ill

The exchange program did not always go exactly as planned. In November 2016, Australian umpire Sam Nogajski was hospitalized during his first Ranji Trophy assignment after falling ill on the morning of the second day of play in a match between Uttar Pradesh and Mumbai in Mysore.

Nogajski complained of stomach pain and loose movements and was admitted to a local hospital early in the morning. Doctors reportedly diagnosed him with dehydration and advised him to rest, ruling him out of the remainder of the match.

With Nogajski unavailable, Indian umpire Virender Sharma had to arbitrate from both sides. Although substitute umpire Vejith D was present, he was not part of the BCCI umpire panel and could only serve as a square-leg umpire.

The management of the match was subsequently looking for a replacement for Nogajský for the rest of the match.

The incident offered a rare interruption to an exchange program meant to give officials experience in different domestic cricket environments. Treloar’s upcoming assignments will now see another Australian umpire take charge of the Ranji Trophy, while Joshi will get the opportunity to officiate in Australia’s domestic competitions.

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