New Zealand umpire Chris Gaffaney will become the 479th Test cricket umpire after being appointed to officiate the Test match between Zimbabwe and South Africa beginning Saturday.
Gaffaney will become the first Kiwi to make his Test debut in 13 years when he takes the field in Harare and be the 50th New Zealander to umpire at Test level. He will be one of the two on-field umpires, with the other to be Pakistan’s Aleem Dar.
New Zealand Cricket Match Officials Manager Rodger McHarg said Gaffaney, who has been umpiring at first-class level since 2008, was more than deserving of the opportunity.
“Chris has put in a lot of hard work to get to where he is now and we’re extremely pleased to see him given the chance to make the step up,” says McHarg.
“There’s nothing more satisfying for an umpire than the opportunity to perform on the international stage. It will be a proud moment for him and one that I’m sure that he will learn a lot from.”
