Nitin Menon, the one Indian within the ICC elite panel of umpires, will lastly realise his “dream” when he will get to officiate within the iconic Ashes in England in June-July. The 39-year-old from Indore would be the on-field umpire within the third and fourth Test of the marquee sequence between England and Australia beginning June 16. “He will be officiating in the Ashes,” a BCCI official advised PTI. The third Test will probably be performed in Leeds from July 6-10 whereas the fourth Test will probably be in Manchester (July 19-23). Menon would be the TV umpire within the fifth and last Test on the Oval in London from July 27-31.

His on-field companions in Leeds and Manchester will probably be Sri Lanka’s Kumar Dharmasena and Trinidad’s Joel Wilson respectively.

Menon, who was inducted into the elite panel again in 2020, may have officiated within the Ashes earlier if it wasn’t for COVID with ICC pressured to make use of native umpires because of the prevailing restrictions on the time.

“My dream series will be Ashes without a doubt. That is the only series I watch on TV. The atmosphere, the way the series is fought, is something I want be involved in. Whether in England or Australia I would love to be part of it,” Menon had advised PTI after being elevated into the elite panel.

Menon has to this point officiated in 18 Tests, 42 ODIs and 40 T20s. He is at the moment busy with the IPL.

Considering impartial umpires have been picked for the Ashes, evidently the ICC can also be set to deliver again the pre-COVID coverage in all Tests.