- “I owe immense gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for the invaluable opportunities that paved the way for this achievement,” says Saleema Imtiaz
- “This moment reflects the growing influence of women in cricket and the PCB’s commitment to fostering that development”
- Saleema Imtiaz’s digital interview available here
- Saleema and Faisal Aafreedi will be on-field umpires for Pakistan-South Africa women’s T20I series with Nasir Hussain as TV umpire and Humairah Farah as fourth umpire, Javed Malik will be the match referee
- PCB confirms match officials for 2024-25 cricket season; no change to the international match officials; four umpires promoted from supplementary panel to the elite panel
- Urdu version of release is attached here
Lahore, 15 September 2024: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced a historic moment for Pakistan cricket as Saleema Imtiaz becomes the first Pakistani woman to be nominated to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires. This prestigious nomination qualifies her to officiate in women’s bilateral international matches and ICC Women’s Events, marking a major milestone in Pakistan’s cricketing history.
Saleema, who is the mother of Pakistan women’s international player Kainat Imtiaz, began her umpiring career with the PCB Women’s Umpires Panel in 2008. Her extensive experience includes officiating in high-profile events under the Asian Cricket Council, such as the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup and the 2023 ACC Emerging Women’s Cup in Hong Kong. Most recently, she was a member of the playing control team for the ACC Women’s Premier Cup 2024 in Kuala Lumpur.
Saleema’s rise to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires cements her status as a trailblazer in the sport.
Her first on-field appointment in a bilateral series will see her officiate the Pakistan-South Africa women’s T20I series in Multan, which begins on Monday. She will be partnered by Faisal Aafreedi from the PCB International Panel of Umpires with Nasir Hussain as TV umpire, while Humairah Farah will serve as the fourth umpire and Muhammad Javed Malik from the PCB International Panel of Match Referees will oversee the series as match referee.
With her nomination to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires, Saleema Imtiaz not only breaks barriers but also sets an inspiring precedent for the next generation of female cricket professionals.
Saleema, who prepares to turn 53 on 18 December 2024:
“I am beyond thrilled to join the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires. I owe immense gratitude to the Pakistan Cricket Board for the invaluable opportunities that paved the way for this achievement.
“The journey has been filled with hard work and personal sacrifices, but now, standing at the cusp of this new chapter, it all feels worth it.
“This isn’t just a win for me – it’s a win for every aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan. I hope my success motivates countless women who dream of making their mark in the sport. This moment reflects the growing influence of women in cricket and the PCB’s commitment to fostering that development. I sincerely hope to see more women follow in my footsteps and embrace this beautiful game.
“Ever since Kainat made her debut for Pakistan in 2010, my own dream has been to represent my country at an international level. While I’ve had opportunities with the Asian Cricket Council, officiating at the highest level has always been the ultimate goal. I’m now focused on performing to the best of my abilities in both bilateral and ICC matches, and building my reputation as a reliable and respected match official.”
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)
