St Vincent and the Grenadines umpire Deighton Kelvin Butler has been appointed to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) International Elite Panel of Umpires on October 13.
Also placed on the ICC Elite Panel is Trinidad and Tobago umpire Zahid Bassarath who has become the second Trinidadian to be appointed after Joel Wilson.
Bassarath is the son of TT Cricket Board (TTCB) president and Cricket West Indies vice-president Azim Bassarath.
Bassarath has umpired a total of 214 games – eight women’s 50-over matches, five women’s T20s, 48 First Class matches, 42 List A matches, and 111 men’s T20s.
As a left-arm fast-medium bowler and a useful lower-order batter, he represented not only his native St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but his consistently outstanding performances for the Windwards Islands catapulted him to the West Indies setup, and he went on to play five ODIs and one T20 for the regional team.
He retired from Windward Island and international service in 2010, but he remained an active player at the local.
It was on his retirement that he took a serious interest in umpiring and became an active member of the Local Cricket Umpires Association.
According to a release from the SVG Cricket Association, Butler, during the CG United Super 50 overs competition in 2023, marked a milestone of 50 List A matches officiating regional cricket.
Among his achievements are the enviable five straight appointments in the CPL Playoffs and four as on-field umpire in the finals within the last five years.
