Colombo, August 7
Ranjan Madugalle became the first match referee to officiate in 400 men's ODIs after taking charge of the third match between India and Sri Lanka.
Madugalle has been a match referee since 1993. He has officiated 216 Tests during his time as a match referee, which is also a record. The former Sri Lanka player also served as International Cricket Council (ICC) chief match referee before the position was removed.
For his landmark achievement, he was presented with a plaque on behalf of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and the ICC by SLC CEO Ashley de Silva.
ICC Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees, Sean Easey lavished praise on Madugalle and said, as quoted from ICC, "Ranjan's portfolio of refereeing assignments is large, and this latest mark of 400 ODIs is quite incredible."
"The sheer volume of his work reflects the kind of passion he has for cricket and his role. On behalf of the ICC, I thank Ranjan for his hard work and wish him all the best for this match and beyond," he added.
Madugalle expressed his delight in reaching the landmark occasion and said, "It has been a great honour and privilege to have officiated in international cricket for so many years, and it's almost dreamlike to be reaching this milestone. I was pleased when I got the opportunity to be associated with the game after my time as a cricketer, but never thought that it would stretch to over three decades!"
"During this period, I have had the chance to officiate all over the world and in several World Cups, relishing every moment. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, Sri Lanka Cricket and my colleagues with whom I have worked over the years for their support and friendship, as well as my family and friends, without whose support it would not have been possible to have come this far," he added.
During his playing days, Madugalle featured as a batter for Sri Lanka. He made 21 Tests and 63 ODI appearances.