Most Matches, As a Match Referee – ODI Cricket Records and Statistics
Ranjan Madugalle set a record by refereeing more than 300 One-Day Internationals (ODIs). He still holds the record for the most one-day internationals officiated.
Image CreditL: twitter.com/@cricketcomauA match referee is an official selected to oversee professional cricket matches, and for Test matches and One Day Internationals (ODIs), they are nominated by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The majority of games below the international level need a referee. During actual gameplay, a referee observes the action from the stands. The referee makes no judgments that affect the play or outcome of the game; such decisions are the sole responsibility of the chosen umpires. The job of the match referee is to ensure that the ICC Cricket Code of Conduct is adhered to throughout the game, to assess any violations of the Code, and to administer appropriate sanctions.
Now let’s examine the five cricket referees with the most matches, one by one, using the statistics table on this page.
- Ranjan Madugalle
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Country: Sri Lanka
Matches: 363
ODI Career: 1993- Present
Ex-cricketer turned Chief of the ICC Match Referees Panel, Ranjan Madugalle, hails from Sri Lanka.
In 1993, he began his career as a referee. He worked his way up the International Cricket Council’s refereeing ranks, eventually officiating 77 Tests and 169 One-Day Internationals. He became the International Cricket Council’s head referee in 2001. Ranjan Madugalle broke a record by officiating 300 or more One-Day Internationals (ODIs). The record for most one-day internationals officiated by him still stands.
- Chris Broad
Country: England
Matches: 325
ODI Career: 2004- Present
When Pakistan played New Zealand in 2003, it was Chris Broad’s first time officiating a match as a referee. His first Test as a match official occurred between New Zealand and Pakistan “around the Christmas of 2003,” He was apprehensive because he didn’t yet know what to expect. Chris Broad has a remarkable record as a cricket referee, having presided over 72 tests, 325 one-day internationals, and 54 Twenty20 Internationals. When Sri Lanka visited Pakistan in 2009, umpires were on the field, and one of them, Chris Broad, was among those assaulted by terrorists.
- Jeff Crowe
Country: New Zealand
Matches: 298
ODI Career: 2004- Present
He began his career as a match official in 2004 during an ODI between the West Indies and England played at Georgetown. Crowe has had a successful career as a referee so far. One black mark, though, was his inability to keep the 2007 World Cup final from devolving into hilarity, despite Australia’s overwhelming odds of victory. He is still working as a referee and oversaw the 2011 World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka. The fifth One-Day International he refereed in 2017 was against Australia and Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval, marking his 250th ODI match.
- Javagal Srinath
Country: India
Matches: 223
ODI Career: 2006- Present
Srinath was chosen as a match referee by the International Cricket Council in April 2006 and officiated at the 2007 World Cup. His officiating resume includes 35 tests, 194 one-dayers, and 60 twenty-over games. The first match as an ICC match official came in July 2006, when Sri Lanka and South Africa played a Test series in Colombo. He was appointed to the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC match officials that year. His first One-Day International was in December 2006. (New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Napier). He served as a referee at the 2007 and 2008 ICC Cricket World Cups. He enjoys reading and volunteering in his spare time when not playing cricket. He is qualified to do so because he has a BS in Engineering (Mechanical).
- Roshan Mahanama
Country: Sri Lanka
Matches: 222
ODI Career: 2004-2015
In 1999, after his retirement from international cricket, Roshan Mahanama shifted to match referee for the International Cricket Council. In 2004, he officiated his first One-Day International between West Indies and Bangladesh in Kingstown. On October 21, 2014, during the One-Day International (ODI) series between New Zealand and South Africa, Roshan Mahanama joined the exclusive club of match officials who have refereed 200 or more matches. 2015 marked Mahanama’s last outing as a match referee in international cricket, which occurred during the last Test between New Zealand and Australia. In the game’s history, Mahanama was the first match referee to officiate a day-night Test match in which the pink ball was used for the first time.
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