PCB nominates match officials for ICC panels

The Pakistan Cricket Board has nominated its match officials for the ICC panels for the 2020-21 season.

PCB has nominated former Test cricketer Ali Naqvi and Professor Javed Malik as ICC Panel for International Match Referees while Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqub, Rashid Riaz Waqar and Shuzab Raza as ICC International Panel for Umpires.

Ali Naqvi has been included in the International Panel in place of Professor Muhammad Anees. In November 2017, Muhammad Anees officiated as a match referee in two ODIs played in Dubai between Scotland and Papua New Guinea.

43-year-old Ali Naqvi scored 242 runs while representing Pakistan in 5 Test matches. Ali Naqvi, who made his debut against South Africa, played an innings of 115 runs. He retired in 2015 with 5881 runs in his career spanning 115 first-class matches.

Ali Naqvi, who became a member of the Junior Selection Committee in 2014, joined the PCB Panel of Match Referees in the 2016-17 season and was promoted to the Elite Panel in the 2018-19 season. Ali Naqvi is currently a part of PCB’s cricket committee as a representative of match officials.

Manager Umpires and Referees Bilal Qureshi says that he congratulates Ali Naqvi on his promotion to the ICC Panel for International Match Referees, he deserved the promotion due to his performance.

He said that Ali Naqvi has a vast knowledge of rules and regulations and is valued in our domestic system. As a former cricketer, Ali Naqvi is also well aware of the mindset of professional cricketers.

Bilal Qureshi says PCB will continue to encourage ex-players to become match officials as part of its strategy, which will not only keep them connected to the game but also give them a clear path to a new career. The way will also be available.

Manager Umpires and Referees further said that the more ex-players join the profession, the more opportunities for Pakistan to be represented in the ICC’s elite panel, currently only Aleem Dar of the ICC. He is the only Pakistani on the elite panel while Wasim Raja was last part of this category in 2004 as a match referee.

Bilal Qureshi says that he is thankful to Muhammad Anees who served Pakistan in the international panel. He said that Muhammad Anees is still very talented and he is sure that the new generation will learn a lot from the experience of Muhammad Anees.