New Zealand Cricket announced unchanged list of match officials for 2020-21 season

However, the season does come with greater opportunity for all the country's umpires considering the travel restrictions due to COVID-19. The International Cricket Council deemed the need for non-neutral umpires for home Tests series unnecessary. Therefore, it is possible that several umpires on the international panel could be given the opportunity to stand in a home Test. This would then open up opportunities for those in the reserve panel to stand in First-Class matches.

Umpires in the national panel primarily stand in men's First-Class (Plunket Shield), List-A (Ford Trophy) and men's and women's T20 (Super Smash) competitions, while those on the reserve panel officiate in women's List-A (Hallyburton Johnstone Shield), NZC national tournaments and Hawke Cup Challenge matches.

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“It’s great to be able to announce a settled umpiring group for the season ahead,” said NZC Head of Cricket Operations Charlie Brewer. “Our top umpires have been doing a superb job for several years now and it’s an exciting prospect for the International Panel to stand in home Tests. We have full faith that the Reserve Panel can step up, if required, to fill the gap at First-Class level and know this will provide that group with valuable match experience.”

Kim Cotton, who was recently named NZC Umpire of the Year in the board's end of season awards, has retained her position in the reserve panel for the coming season. Brewer showered praise on the 42-year-old calling her the country's "top female umpire."

“Kim is going from strength to strength with her umpiring and it was fantastic to see her stand in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final earlier this year,” Brewer said. “She retains her spot on the Reserve Panel and will continue her development as our top female umpire in the country.”

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Tony Hill, former international umpire and NZC umpire coach, is the only new addition to the NZC match referee group.

Meanwhile, on the scoring front, Annette Campbell, Auckland regional scorer manager, is all set for her 26th consecutive season of scoring premier cricket in the country. She was named NZC Official of the year in the board's 2019-20 awards.

Full list of appointments for 2020-21:

International Umpire Panel: Chris Brown, Shaun Haig, Wayne Knights

NZC National Panel: Billy Bowden, John Bromley, John Dempsey, Ash Mehrotra, Tim Parlane, Derek Walker

Chris Brown, Shaun Haig and Wayne Knights will also serve on the National Panel when available.

NZC National Reserve Panel: Cory Black, Kim Cotton, Tyron Davies, Lui Els, Kannan Jagannathan, Damian Morrow, Pete Pasco, Eugene Sanders, Tim Shirriffs, Allen Stanley, Garth Stirrat, Glen Walklin

NZC Match Referees: Gary Baxter, Ross Dykes, Richard Hayward. Kevin Pulley, Tony Hill

NZC Regional Scorer Managers: Annette Campbell, Duncan Mitchell, Ian Smith, Tony Feely, Malcolm Jones

ICC Elite Panel: Chris Gaffaney