In a groundbreaking moment for Pakistan cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced today that Saleema Imtiaz has been nominated to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires, becoming the first Pakistani woman to earn this prestigious honor. This nomination grants her the opportunity to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s events, marking a significant milestone in Pakistan’s cricket history.
Saleema Imtiaz, mother of Pakistan women’s international player Kainat Imtiaz, has had a long and distinguished career in the sport. Since joining the PCB Women’s Umpires Panel in 2008, she has officiated at high-profile tournaments, including the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cups and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup. Her inclusion in the ICC panel solidifies her reputation as a trailblazer for women in Pakistan’s cricketing landscape.
Her first assignment as an international umpire will be during the Pakistan-South Africa women’s T20I series in Multan, which begins on 16 September. Saleema will officiate alongside Nasir Hussain from the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires, with Humairah Farah serving as the third umpire and Muhammad Javed Malik from the PCB International Panel as match referee.
Reflecting on this monumental achievement, Saleema said, “I am beyond thrilled to join the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires. This isn’t just a win for me; it’s a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan. I hope my journey inspires other women to pursue their dreams in the sport.”
This achievement is yet another testament to the PCB’s commitment to the development of women in cricket. As Saleema Imtiaz steps into her new role, she not only shatters barriers but sets an inspiring precedent for the future of female cricket professionals in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board has also confirmed match officials for the 2024-25 cricket season following an annual appraisal process.
There is no change to the PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees, while, following feedback from the ICC, there is also no change in the ICC International Panel of Match Referees and Umpires.
Ahmed Shahab, Khalid Mehmood Sr., Rana Muhammad Arshad and Qaiser Waheed have been promoted to the PCB Elite Panel of Umpires from the PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires. Qaiser will replace Shozab Raza, who will retire on 31 October.
The four umpires to be promoted from the development panel to the supplementary panel are: Anser Mahmood (with effect from 1 November), Jamshid Iqbal, Naseer Ahmed and Zeeshan Arif.
PCB International Panel of Match Referees: Ali Naqvi (Lahore), Muhammad Javed Malik (Multan)
PCB International Panel of Umpires: Aleem Dar (Lahore), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (Sargodha), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore)
ICC International Panel of Development Umpires: Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi)
PCB Elite Panel of Match Referees: Aleem Khan Moosa (Karachi), Athar Laiq (Karachi), Bilal Moinul Haq Khiljee (Lahore), Iftikhar Ahmed (Karachi), Kamran Chaudhry (Lahore), Muhammad Aslam (Quetta), Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh (Hyderabad), Nadeem Arshad (Faisalabad) and Sohail Idrees (Lahore)
PCB Elite Panel of Umpires: Abdul Moqeet (Lahore), Ahmed Shahab (Lahore), Aleem Dar (Lahore), Aley Haider (Karachi), Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad), Aslam Bareach (Quetta), Faisal Khan Aafreedi (Sargodha), Farooq Ali Khan (Abbottabad), Ghulam Sarwar (Sibi), Imran Jawed (Karachi), Imranullah Aslam (Bahawalpur), Kashif Sohail (Khanewal), Khalid Mehmood Sr. (Karachi), Majid Hussain (AJK), Muhammad Asif (Lahore), Muhammad Sajid (Charsadda), Nasir Hussain (Lahore), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rana Muhammad Arshad (Faisalabad), Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore), Saqib Khan (Abbottabad), Shozab Raza (Lahore), Syed Imtiaz Iqbal (Karachi), Tariq Rasheed (Lahore), Waleed Yaqub (Lahore) and Zulfiqar Jan (Charsadda)
PCB Supplementary Panel of Match Referees: Abu-al-Hasnat Rao (Lahore), Ahmer Saeed (Karachi), Ali Gohar (Karachi), Fazal Akbar Shah (Peshawar), Ghulam Mustafa (Kasur), Inamullah Khan (Lahore), Muhammad Amiruddin Ansari (Karachi), Saman Zulfiqar (Sheikhupura), Samiul Haq (Faisalabad) and Sohail Khan (Lahore)
PCB Supplementary Panel of Umpires: Abdul Karim (Naseerabad), Ahmed Nadeem (Peshawar), Aqeel Aadil Khan (Karachi), Asif Farooq Awan (Gujranwala), Dilshad Ali (Multan), Haroon Malik (Sargodha), Hashim Ali (Lodhran), Hassan Mahmood (Lahore), Irfan Haider (Islamabad), Jamshid Iqbal (Peshawar), Kamran Khalil (Lahore), Muhammad Basit (Lahore), Muhammad Fayyaz (Peshawar), Muhammad Imran (Sargodha), Muhammad Irfan Dilshad (Lahore), Muhammad Kaleem (Lahore), Muhammad Waqas (Lahore), Naseer Ahmed (Chakwal), Qaiser Waheed (Lahore), Rafiq Ahmad (Dadu), Raza Asghar (Sheikhupura), Saleem Butt (Rawalpindi), Sultan Mahmood (Loralai), Syed Fahim Ahmed Bukhari (Karachi), Waqar Ahmed (Islamabad) and Zeeshan Arif (Mirpur, AJK)
PCB Development Panel of Umpires: Aamer Atta (Dera Ghazi Khan), Abdul Basit (Rawalpindi), Abdul Qayoom (Karachi), Abrar Ahmed (Kasur), Adnan Rashid (Lahore), Ajmal Khan (Swat), Anser Mahmood (Pattoki), Asim Alvi (Karachi), Farooq Anwar Bajwa (Faisalabad), Farooq Jan (Charsadda), Furqan Butt (Lahore), Ghayyur Hussain (Peshawar), Hameed Khan (Quetta), Hidayatullah (Pishin), Imran Naseem (Okara), Jaffar Hussian (Peshawar), Khalid Mahmood Jr (Quetta), Khalid Younas (Kohat), Khalil Ahmad Siddiqi (Kasur), Maqbool Ahmed (Faisalabad), Mehtab Hussain (Rawalpindi), Muhammad Aamir Sharif (Kohat), Muhammad Arif (Dera Ismail Khan), Muhammad Asif Jr (Multan), Muhammad Imran Jr (Bahawalnagar), Muhammad Masood Afridi (Peshawar), Muhammad Shafiqul Hai (Dera Ismail Khan), Muhammad Yousaf (Dera Ghazi Khan), Mumtaz Ali (Loralai), Muneeb Ahsan (Attock), Munir Ahmed (Kasur), Naik Muhammad (Kohat), Nasar Khan (Mardan), Naveed Khan (Nowshehra), Noor ul Hakam (Buner), Raweed Khan (Charsadda), Sadiq Amin (Charsadda), Sagheer Ahmed (Lahore), Saifullah Khan (Sargodha), Shahid Aslam (Karachi), Shahid Naseem (Rawalpindi), Sheraz Ahmed Rajput (Lahore), Sohail Khan (Charssada), Sohail Zaman Khattak (Peshawar), Waqas Zeb (Lahore) and Waseemuddin (Kohat)
PCB Women’s Panel of Umpires: Afia Amin (Lahore), Ayesha Farooq (Lahore), Fakhira Kazim Syeda (Muzaffarabad), Humairah Farah (Lahore), Nazia Nazir (Lahore), Riffat Mustafa (Kasur), Sabahat Rasheed (Lahore), Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi), Sania Ashraf (Lahore), Shakila Rafiq (Kasur), Sukhan Faiz (Multan), Sumaira Sajid (Lahore) and Zakia Gul (Khairpur)
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