PCB Announces Officials For Pakistan’s Upcoming International Cricket Fixtures

LAHORE: (Sports Reporter)  – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the match officials for Pakistan’s upcoming international fixtures against Sri Lanka, as well as the ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka, scheduled from October 9 to November 21.

Tthe 12 international matches will include three T20 Internationals, seven ODIs in the tri-series and two Tests forming part of the ICC World Test Championship. A three-day practice match will also take place in Islamabad.

Former New Zealand cricketer and ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees member Jeffrey Crowe will oversee all seven matches of the ODI tri-series, which will be played in Rawalpindi and Lahore from October 18 to 31.

Crowe made his Test debut as a match referee in October 2004 during a Pakistan-Sri Lanka Test in Faisalabad. Earlier this month, he became only the second match referee to officiate 700 international matches.

ICC Elite Panel umpires Ahsan Raza of Pakistan and Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid of Bangladesh will be among the officials assigned to the ODI tri-series. They will be joined by New Zealand’s Wayne Knights and Pakistan’s Asif Yaqoob, Nasir Hussain, Rashid Riaz Waqar and Faisal Khan Aafreedi.

Knights and Asif will officiate the opening ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Rawalpindi on October 18. Sharfuddoula and Knights will share third-umpire duties throughout the competition.

For the two-match Test series, former English first-class cricketer Dean Cosker has been appointed match referee. The series will be played in Rawalpindi from November 9 to 13 and Lahore from November 17 to 21.

ICC Elite Panel umpires Adrian Holdstock and Allahuddien Palekar of South Africa, along with Australia’s Rodney Tucker, will perform on-field and other umpiring duties during the Tests.

Meanwhile, Ali Naqvi will serve as match referee for Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, scheduled for October 9, 11 and 13 in Rawalpindi.

Rashid Riaz Waqar, Nasir Hussain and Faisal Khan Aafreedi will share on-field and third-umpire responsibilities across the T20Is, while Tariq Rasheed will serve as the fourth umpire in all three matches.

A three-day practice match will also be held at Islamabad Club from November 4 to 6, with Ahsan Raza and Abdul Moqeet appointed as on-field umpires. Zulfiqar Jan will serve as fourth umpire, while Kamran Chaudhary will be the match referee.