FORMER Kent captain and England batsman Mark Benson has been promoted to the ICC’s 10-man Emirates Elite Panel for umpiring Test matches the world over.

Benson, who retired from playing in 1995 after almost 300 games for the county, is in his sixth year as an umpire and has won praise for his low key, no frills umpiring style.

A former left-handed batsman, he was forced into retirement by serious knee and thumb injuries and, after a short stint working for a Kent legal firm, returned to the game as an ECB panel umpire officiating in county cricket.

He has since been fast tracked through the ICC international lists and earned a host of media plaudits for his recent handling of the tempestuous series between South Africa and Australia.

Benson, who now lives in Westbere, said: "It is a great honour and I’m proud to be named as one of the Emirates Elite Panel.

"It is important to do the job as well as you can so that you earn the respect of the players."

In welcoming the former Kent skipper to the Elite panel, ICC’s General Manager of Cricket, David Richardson, said: "Mark has been one of the top performing umpires in international cricket over the last 18 months and we are delighted to have him on the Emirates Elite Panel.

"He has demonstrated the ability to officiate in testing circumstances in a wide range of environments and we look forward to working more closely with him to continue to develop his skills.

"Mark has officiated in eight Test matches in four different countries and his performances have been up there with the current members of the Emirates Elite Panel.

"He also performed exceptionally well in the recent VB Series and we have been impressed by his calm approach and the respect he has earned from the players."

Since making his international debut in June 2004, Benson has already stood in eight Tests and 24 One-day internationals involving all 10 full ICC member countries.

Benson's elevation has also led to a promotion for his former county team-mate Nigel Llong, who becomes a full member of the ICC's International Umpires Panel.

Llong, who hails from Ashford, said: “I am delighted and am looking forward to the challenges international cricket will provide.

"It is very exciting following in the steps of umpiring greats like David Shepherd and Dickie Bird who made such a lasting impression on the game in this country.”