Pradhan, one of the associate panel umpires of ICC, received the invitation letter from ECB Umpires’ Manager Chris Kelly on March 15. “On behalf of ECB, we are delighted to extend an invitation to Mr Buddhi Bahadur Pradhan to officiate during our first class cricket season in 2012,” reads the invitation letter sent by Kelly.[break]
After receiving the invitation, Pradhan started visa application procedure to go to England. “I submitted my visa application today (on Sunday), if I get it, I’ll reach England by June 23,” said Pradhan.
As per the ECB invitation letter, Pradhan will be officiating three one-day matches of SET (Second Eleven Trophy) and three three-day matches of SEC (Second Eleven Championship). SET and SEC are competion for the second XI teams of the first class Counties.
Pradhan will oversee SET and SEC one-day and three-day matches between Middlesex and Hampshire from June 25 and 28, Essex and MCC Youth Cricketers fom July 2 to 5 and as well as Worcestershire and Lancashire from July 10 to 13.
“It would be a great exposure for me to officiate in the County cricket matches,” said Pradhan.
ECB will make arrangements for lodging and internal transportation for Pradhan while ICC will bear the air-fare.
“I had met English umpire Rob Belly in Bangladesh during the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers last year. He was impressed with my umpiring and asked me to write to ECB to officiate in their first class cricket,” said Pradhan.
“When I wrote to ECB Umpires’ Manager Chris Kelly, he asked me to consult ICC. I informed everything to ICC Umpire and Referee Administration Manager Brent Silva. Later, ICC and ECB made all the arrangement,” Pradhan added.
Pradhan and Sarika Prasad of Singapore are the only two ICC associate panel umpires from Asia. Pradhan is considered as one of the finest umpires from the associate countries. Pradhan along side New Zealand’s Chris Gaffaney had officiated in the final match of the ICC World T20 Qualifiers between Afghanistan and Ireland in the UAE recently.
Pradhan had already officiated 18 One-Day International matches and four T20 International matches.
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