Dubai, Sep 7 (IANS): Former England cricketer Chris Broad, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, will reach the milestone of 350 men’s One-day Internationals (ODIs)when he officiates in the first match of the series between England and New Zealand in Cardiff on Friday.

A former England opening batter who scored 1,661 runs in 25 Tests and 1,361 runs in 34 ODIs, famously scoring centuries in three consecutive matches of the Ashes series of 1986-87, Broad is only the second to reach the milestone of 350 ODIs as match referee after Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka.

Sean Easey, the ICC Manager of Umpires and Referees, congratulated Broad on reaching the milestone.

“Chris is one of the most senior members of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, who has officiated in numerous high-profile series in different parts of the world. His resilience and cricket experience have stood him in good stead over the years," Sean Easey was quoted as saying by the ICC in a release.

“On behalf of the ICC, I would like to congratulate Chris on reaching such a significant milestone and wish him all the best for his upcoming assignments,” he said.

During his lengthy career, Chris Broad, who became a member of the ICC Elite Panel in 2003, refereed his first men’s ODI in 2004 and officiated as a match referee in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2019.

He also refereed in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007, 2009, 2016 and 2022 besides officiating in 120 Tests, 131 Men’s T20Is and 15 Women’s T20Is. He also refereed the Final of the 2021 ICC World Test Championship between India and New Zealand in England.