PCB announces match officials’ panels

Following a comprehensive review and annual appraisal process, the Pakistan Cricket Board today announced its panel of match officials for the 2020-21 domestic season, which will commence with the National T20 Cup from 30 September. The first round matches of the double-league competition will be held in Multan, while the second round will be played in Rawalpindi.

The six-member PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees include Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan), while 14 members of the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires are Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore).

These 20 elite officials will be on 12-month retainer contracts and will be responsible for sharing officiating duties in the First XI Cricket Association and HBL Pakistan Super League matches.

In the 2019-20 season, the PCB had offered contracts to 18 elite match officials. Mohammad Iqbal Sheikh and Nadeem Arshad, are the two additions in the match referees panel, while Aftab Hussain Gilani (promoted from the development panel), Imran Javed, Nasir Hussain Snr, Qaiser Waheed, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Waleed Yaqoob (promoted from the development panel) and Zameer Haider are the umpires who will be offered contracts for the first time.

The PCB has introduced supplementary panel for the first time, which includes the match referees and umpires who were unable to find places in the elite panel. They will be offered season contracts, which includes match fees and daily allowances. This panel will be responsible for officiating in the Second XI Cricket Association matches and will set-up for First XI and HBL Pakistan Super League duties as and when required.

The 72-member PCB Development Panel of Umpires has been equally divided into two groups, with the first group to officiate in the PCB-organised age-group matches and the second group to stand in club, grassroots and school fixtures. The playing control team in these matches will be led by the PCB Development Panel of Match Referees, which comprises 15 officials.

The PCB Development Panel of Match Referees includes a female official, Saman Zulfiqar from Sheikhupura. This is the third successive year she has been named in the panel as the PCB continues to encourage its women officials to get involved with the game if they have any aspirations of representing the country at the international level.

Similar process was followed and adopted while finalising women umpires for the 2020-21 domestic season, who will be offered season contracts. These women officials will be involved in officiating women’s domestic matches, schedule of which will be shared in due course.

The notable inclusion in the eight-member PCB Panel of Women Umpires is the addition of Sabahat Rasheed, who played 13 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan from 2005 to 2007. The 37-year-old from Lahore was a right-arm off break and is a graduate of Arts and Education.

Bilal Qureshi, Manager, Umpires and Referees: “I want to congratulate all the match officials on their inclusion in the 2020-21 domestic panel and hope they will have a good season in which they will perform their duties to the best of their abilities.

“This year’s assessment and appraisal process was transparent and merit-based in which two independent former ICC match officials reviewed the performances of all the officials, while accessing their self-assessments and video decisions during the season (where available) as well as presentations, interviews, knowledge and understanding about the Laws, decision-making and man-management skills. Separately, the match officials also underwent fitness tests, which are mandatory and as per international standards.

“This robust process was carried out to ensure the best match officials can officiate in the PCB-organised tournaments and through their good knowledge and understanding of the Laws and regulations, contribute in enhancing the standard and quality of the 2020-21 domestic cricket.

“At the same time, we have provided a pathway to the supplementary and development panel umpires with the incentive being a place in the elite panel. I understand this is a challenging pathway but such is the role that only the best of the best can move up the ladder and this can only happen through determination, consistent performances, correct application of the Laws and regulations, and good match management.”

PCB Panel of Match Officials for 2020-21 season:

PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees - Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof. Mohammad Javed Malik (Multan)

PCB Elite Panel of Umpires - Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Aftab Hussain Gillani (Bahawalpur), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Javed (Karachi), Nasir Hussain Snr. (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore)

PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees - Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Aziz-ur-Rehman (Lahore), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Khalid Jamshed (Lahore), Muhammad Aslam (Quetta) and Tanveer Afzal (Faisalabad)

PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires - Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aley Haider (Karachi), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Sr. (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Mir Dad (Islamabad), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Imran (Sargodha), Muhammad Sajid (Charsadda), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore) and Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda)

PCB Development Panel of Match Referees - Abu-al-Hasnat Rao (Lahore), Allah Ditto (Islamabad), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Fazal Akbar Shah (Peshawar), Ghulam Mustafa (Kasur), Inamullah Khan (Lahore), Masood Anwar (Khanewal), Muhammad Amiruddin Ansari (Karachi), Muhammad Jawed (Karachi), Mujahid Jamshed (Lahore), Saman Zulfiqar (Sheikhupura), Samiul Haq (Faisalabad), Sohail Idrees (Lahore) and Sohail Khan (Lahore)

PCB Development Panel of Umpires (I) - Aamer Atta (DG Khan), Abdul Wasay (Kohat), Ahmed Nadeem (Peshawar), Akmal Hayat (Faisalabad), Asif Farooq Awan (Gujranwala), Farooq Anwar Bajwa Faisalabad), Farooq Jan (Charsadda), Ghayyur Hussain (Peshawar), Hassan Mahmood (Lahore), Imran Ullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Irfan Haider (Islamabad), Javed Ashraf (Lahore), Kamran Khalil (Lahore), Khalid Mahmood Jr (Quetta), Mesam Turabi (Gujjar Khan), Muhammad Fayyaz (Peshawar), Muhammad Irfan Dilshad (Lahore), Muhammad Kaleeem (Lahore), Muhammad Waqas (Lahore), Nadeem Ghouri (Lahore), Nadeem Iqbal (Multan), Nasar Khan (Mardan), Qaiser Khan (Lahore), Rafiq Ahmad (Dadu), Rana Muhammad Arshad (Faisalabad), Raweed Khan (Charsadda), Raza Asghar (Sheikhupura), Saifullah Khan (Sargodha), Saleem Butt (Rawalpindi), Shamim Ansari (Karachi), Sohail Khan (Charssada), Sohail Zaman Khattak (Peshawar), Sultan Mahmood (Loralai), Syed Fahim Ahmed Bukhari (Karachi), Waqar Ahmed (Islamabad) and Waseemuddin (Kohat)

PCB Development Panel of Umpires (II) - Asim Alvi (Karachi), Abdul Karim (Naseerabad), Abdul Qayoom (Karachi), Abrar Ahmed (Kasur), Adnan Rashid (Lahore), Akhtar Ali (Karachi), Ameen Abbasi (Bahawalpur), Anser Mahmood (Pattoki), Aqeel Aadil Khan (Karachi), Azizur Rehman (Karachi), Dilshad Ali (Multan), Hameed Khan (Quetta), Haroon Malik (Sargodha), Hashim Ali (Lodhran), Hidayatullah (Pishin), Jaffar Hussian (Peshawar), Jamshid Iqbal (Peshawar), Khalil Ahmad Siddiqi (Kasur), Maqbool Ahmed (Faisalabad), Muhammad Aamir Sharif (Kohat), Muhammad Arif (DI Khan), Muhammad Basit Siddiqi (Lahore), Muhammad Nazir Butt (Karachi), Muhammad Yousaf (DG Khan), Mumtaz Ali (Loralai), Munir Ahmed (Kasur), Naik Muhammad (Kohat), Naseer Ahmed (Chakwal), Naushad Khan (Peshawar), Naveed Khan (Nowshehra), Noor ul Hakam (Buner), Sagheer Ahmed (Lahore), Saifullah (Lahore), Shahid Qayyum (Faisalabad), Waqas Zeb (Lahore) and Zeeshan Arif (Mirpur, AJK)

PCB Panel of Women Umpires – Afia Amin (Lahore), Hummairah Farah  (Lahore), Nazia Nazir (Lahore), Nuzhat Sultana (Karachi), Riffat Mustafa (Kasur), Sabahat Rasheed  (Lahore), Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi) and Shakila Rafiq (Kasur).