There was also no place for Australian umpire Darrell Hair, who has been responsible for Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and Shoaib Akhtar of Pakistan for throwing in the past.

But favourites Steve Bucknor of the West Indies and former India captain Srinivas Venkataraghavan both feature on the in the eight-man group.

Seven of the 10 Test nations were represented, with South African duo Rudi Koertzen and David Orchard taking two spots.

New Zealand, Pakistan and Bangladesh have no official in the elite band.

The announcement comes a fortnight after the ICC named five new, full-time match referees.

Shepherd, 62, is one of the most experienced umpires on the international scene, having stood in 50 Tests and 97 one-day internationals.

John Hampshire, George Sharp and Peter Willey had all been considered candidates for the panel, which will provide both umpires for future Tests.

The ICC said former England batsman Willey was originally invited to join the panel but declined the two-year contract, citing family reasons.

High pressure

Two umpires from the panel will stand in all future Test matches and there will be one member standing with a home umpire for one-day internationals.

"The constant, high pressure demands of international cricket means that umpiring at the highest level now has to be a full time profession, rather than a part time job," said ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed.

"The eight men chosen to join the elite panel are all proven performers at Test level, who command the respect of the captains and players."