Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid turns into the first Bangladeshi within the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. Photo: X/@BCBtigers
Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid on March 28 grew to become the first from his nation to be inducted into the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires whereas India’s Nitin Menon entered the highest tier for an unprecedented fifth time.
Indore-based Menon, who joined the elite panel at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, stays the one Indian within the 12-member membership.
The 40-year-old is barely the third Indian to be a part of the elite panel after S Ravi and former India spinner S Venkataraghavan, who carried out on-field duties in 33 and 73 Tests respectively.
Menon has been an on-field umpire in 23 Tests, 58 ODIs and 41 T20s (122 general) and is anticipated to surpass Venkataraghavan’s general match tally of officiating in 125 video games within the T20 World Cup within the USA and Caribbean.
Menon had additionally realised his dream of officiating within the Ashes final year.
On the opposite hand, Bangladesh’s Sharfuddoula was elevated from the ICC International Panel of Umpires, changing the now retired Marais Erasmus.
Sharfuddoula has been on the International Panel since 2006 and his first worldwide appointment was an ODI between Bangladesh and Sri Lanka at Mirpur in January 2010.
He has been an on-field umpire in 10 Tests, 63 ODIs and 44 T20Is. He has additionally featured on-field in 13 girls’s ODIs and 28 T20Is.
“It is a great honour to be named on the ICC Elite Panel. To be the first from my country on the panel makes it extra special and I look forward to justifying the faith shown in me. I have had a fair bit of experience over the years and am ready for more challenging assignments,” stated Sharfuddoula.
Chris Broad excluded from Elite Match Referees’ Panel
The ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees has been decreased from seven members to six, with Chris Broad not included within the panel for 2024-25.
Broad, who had been on the panel since 2003, has refereed 123 Tests, 361 ODIs and 135 T20s, in addition to 15 girls’s T20s.
A senior ICC official stated Broad had been dropped as a part of a restructuring course of.
“Chris Broad has been dropped as a part of restructuring process and there would be no immediate replacement,” an ICC Board of Director from one of many member nations conscious of the developments informed PTI.
ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice stated: “Chris Broad has been a valuable member of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees over many years and has performed his role with distinction.
“He was ready to take troublesome calls in the perfect pursuits of the sport and was revered by gamers and officers from all around the cricketing world. On behalf of the ICC, I would really like to thank Chris for his lengthy and distinguished contribution to the sport.”
Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees:
David Boon (Australia), Jeff Crowe (New Zealand), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Andrew Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Richie Richardson (West Indies), Javagal Srinath (India).
Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires:
Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Christopher Gaffaney (New Zealand), Michael Gough (England), Adrian Holdstock (South Africa), Richard Illingworth (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Nitin Menon (India), Ahsan Raza (Pakistan), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid (Bangladesh), Rodney Tucker (Australia), Joel Wilson (West Indies).
