LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced its panels of match officials for the 2022-23 men’s domestic cricket season, which kicks-off with the National T20 in Rawalpindi on August 30. The second leg of the event will run in Multan from September 10-19.
Former first-class cricketers Aaley Haider, who featured in 90 matches from 1993 to 2005, Mohammad Asif, who participated in 45 matches, Tariq Rasheed, who played 22 matches from 1996-2003, and Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi, who played five matches, have been promoted to the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires. The four have joined Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Afridi, Ghaffar Kazmi, Imran Jawed, Nasir Hussain Snr, Rashid Riaz, Saqib Khan, Shozab Raza, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Waleed Yaqub and Zameer Haider.
There is no change in the PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees, which includes Ali Naqvi, Iftikhar Ahmed, Muhammad Anees, Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Arshad and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik. Apart from the National T20, the elite panelists will officiate in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (27th September-30th November) and the Pakistan Cup (10th December-3rd January). Ghaffar Kazmi and Zameer Haider will retire during the year.
There are two changes in the PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees. Former first-class cricketers Athar Laiq and Bilal Khilji have been added as Azizur Rehman and Tanveer Afzal will be retiring during the season.
PCB Manager - Umpires and Referees, Bilal Qureshi said, “We are pleased to confirm our match officials’ panels for the 2022-23 cricket season, which have been finalised following a robust appraisal and performance analysis process in which the match referees and captains reports from the last season were also considered.
I want to congratulate umpires Aaley Haider, Imranullah Aslam, Muhammad Asif, Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi, Tariq Rasheed, and Qaiser Khan, who have earned promotions as well as Athar Laiq and Bilal Khilji, who share 281 first-class matches between them, for breaking into the supplementary panel of match referees.”
He said, “Officiating is a challenging and thankless job, but our match officials have recently made big progress in decision-making and player-management, which has contributed in improving the overall health and quality of our domestic cricket. In recognition of this and for the first time, we have decided to introduce monthly retainers for the supplementary panel. I remain confident that all the match officials will play their integral part in the successful delivery of the 2022-23 domestic cricket and, in the process, will attract more former cricketers to take up this noble profession.”
PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees: Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Muhammad Anees (Lahore), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik (Multan)
PCB Elite Panel of Umpires: Aaley Haider (Karachi), Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha), Ghaffar Kazmi (Lahore), Imran Jawed (Karachi), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Sajid Khan Afridi (Charsadda), Nasir Hussain Snr (Lahore), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zameer Haider (Lahore)
PCB match officials on the ICC International Panel: Ahsan Raza (Lahore), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha) and Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore) (all umpires), Ali Naqvi (Lahore) and Prof Muhammad Javed Malik (Multan) (both match referees).
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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