Alex Wharf

{{short description|English cricketer and umpire}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}} {{Use British English|date=March 2016}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Alex Wharf | image = Alex Wharf umpiring 2019.jpg | country = England | fullname = Alexander George Wharf | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|6|4|df=yes}} | birth_place = [[Bradford]], [[West Yorkshire]], England | nickname = Gangster | heightft = 6 | heightinch = 4 | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm fast-medium | role = Bowler, [[Umpire (cricket)|umpire]] | international = true | internationalspan = 2004-2005 | odidebutdate = 1 September | odidebutyear = 2004 | odidebutagainst = India | odicap = 183 | lastodidate = 13 February | lastodiyear = 2005 | lastodiagainst = South Africa | odishirt =

| date = 21 June 2023 | source = http://www.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/22380.html Cricinfo }}

'''Alexander George Wharf''' (born 4 June 1975)<ref name="YB"/> is an English [[cricket]] umpire and former international cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-handed fast-medium bowler, who ended his career with the [[Wales|Welsh]] side [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club]]. Currently, he is a member of the [[ICC Elite umpire panel]].

==Domestic career== Wharf commenced his first-class cricketing career with [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] in 1994, and played seven such matches for the county until 1997.<ref name="YB">{{cite book |title=The Yorkshire County Cricket Club: 2011 Yearbook |last=Warner |first=David |year=2011 |edition=113th |publisher=Great Northern Books |location=Ilkley, Yorkshire |isbn=978-1-905080-85-4 |page=381}}</ref> He later joined [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]], before moving to Glamorgan in 2000.

Wharf announced his retirement from cricket during the [[2009 County Championship]], after failing to recover from a long-term injury. In 2010, Wharf played in the South Wales Premier Cricket League for Sully Centurians.<ref name=ECB>{{cite web|url=http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/rules/umpires/ |title=Umpires list - 2011 |publisher=www.ecb.co.uk |access-date=3 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628232819/http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/rules/umpires/ |archive-date=28 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==International career== He never played [[Test cricket]], but made his [[England cricket team|England]] [[One Day International]] debut at [[Trent Bridge]], [[Nottingham]], against [[India national cricket team|India]] in 2004. Altogether he won 13 ODI caps.

==Umpiring career== In 2011, he was added to the [[England and Wales Cricket Board]] list of reserve umpires, alongside the late [[Russell Evans (cricketer)|Russell Evans]] and [[Billy Taylor (cricketer, born 1977)|Billy Taylor]].<ref name=ECB/>

Along with [[Rob Bailey (cricketer)|Rob Bailey]], he was one of the two onfield umpires for the [[Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge]] match played at [[Lord's]] on 31 May 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/1141232.html |title=ICC World XI tour of England at London, May 31 2018 |work=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=31 May 2018}}</ref> The next month, he stood in his first [[One Day International]] (ODI) match, between [[Australian cricket team in England in 2018|England and Australia]], at [[Sophia Gardens (cricket ground)|Sophia Gardens]] in [[Cardiff]] on 16 June 2018.<ref name="ODI">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/44502567 |title=Alex Wharf to umpire his first One-Day International in Cardiff |work=BBC Sport |access-date=16 June 2018}}</ref>

In October 2019, he was appointed as one of the twelve umpires to officiate matches in the [[2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier]] tournament in the United Arab Emirates.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1412092 |title=Match Officials announced for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=10 October 2019}}</ref> In February 2020, the ICC named him as one of the umpires to officiate in matches during the [[2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup]] in Australia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/1607955 |title=ICC announces Match Officials for all league matches |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref> In June 2021, Wharf was named as the fourth official for the [[2021 ICC World Test Championship Final]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/2167649 |title=Match officials for ICC World Test Championship Final announced |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=8 June 2021}}</ref> In August 2021, in the third match between [[Indian cricket team in England in 2021|England and India]], Wharf stood in his first Test match as an umpire.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/cricket/2021/aug/25/india-vs-england-umpire-alex-wharf-had-dismissed-sourav-ganguly-vvs-laxman-rahul-dravid-on-debut-2349670.html |title=India vs England third Test: Umpire Alex Wharf had dismissed Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid on debut |work=New Indian Express |access-date=26 August 2021}}</ref>

In February 2022, he was named as one of the on-field umpires for the [[2022 Women's Cricket World Cup]] in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenscriczone.com/icc-match-officials-world-cup-new-zealand |title=Eight women among 15 Match Officials named for ICC World Cup 2022 |work=Women's CricZone |access-date=22 February 2022 |archive-date=22 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220222094833/https://www.womenscriczone.com/icc-match-officials-world-cup-new-zealand/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/2497729 |title=Match officials chosen for ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 |work=International Cricket Council |access-date=22 February 2022}}</ref> In September 2023, he was named as one of the sixteen match officials for [[2023 Cricket World Cup]].<ref name="2023 Officials">{{cite news |title=Match officials for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 named |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/3676407 |access-date=22 September 2023 |work=www.icc-cricket.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=ICC announce Match Officials for ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/media-releases/3676805 |access-date=22 September 2023 |work=www.icc-cricket.com |language=en}}</ref> In March 2025, he was promoted to [[ICC Elite Umpire Panel]].<ref>{{cite web |access-date=25 March 2025 |title=Two new faces join the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires |url=https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/two-new-faces-join-the-icc-elite-panel-of-umpires |work=International Cricket Council}}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of Test cricket umpires]] * [[List of One Day International cricket umpires]] * [[List of Twenty20 International cricket umpires]]

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{cricinfo|id=22380}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wharf, Alex}} [[Category:1975 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English cricketers]] [[Category:England One Day International cricketers]] [[Category:Yorkshire cricketers]] [[Category:Nottinghamshire cricketers]] [[Category:Glamorgan cricketers]] [[Category:Cricketers from Bradford]] [[Category:English cricket umpires]] [[Category:English Test cricket umpires]] [[Category:English One Day International cricket umpires]] [[Category:English Twenty20 International cricket umpires]] [[Category:English cricketers of 1969 to 2000]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]