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Umpire Nitin Menon and Paul Reiffel pull out of ongoing IPL
A couple of days after several overseas cricketers, majorly Australians, decided to withdraw their names from the ongoing season of IPL in India, two high-profile umpires Nitin Menon and Paul Reiffel have also left the tournament citing various reasons related to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Menon’s mother and wife have tested positive for the deadly virus and he has a kid to look after. So he has flown back home to Indore to become with his family.
On the other hand, Reiffel informed the BCCI that he was anxious about not being able to return home with Australia banning flights from India till 15th May and thus left a few days back.
Both Menon and Reiffel are part of ICC’s Elite Panel of Umpires.
“Nitin has a small child to look after as his mother and wife have tested positive while Reiffel informed BCCI that he fears not being able to go home due to the Australian government’s decision banning all flights from India,” The Indian Express quoted an unnamed BCCI source as confirming. The BCCI has already kept several local umpires as back-up and so will be officiating in the matches that Menon and Reiffel were scheduled to.
