The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the inclusion of Sharfuddoula in its elite panel of umpires, making him the first Bangladeshi to achieve this milestone. However, the new panel of match referees does not include veteran Chris Broad, who has officiated in a significant number of international matches.
Chris Broad, a member of the elite panel since 2003, has officiated in 123 Tests, 361 ODIs, and 135 T20Is. He was the match referee in the final of the 2009 T20 World Cup and the 2021 World Test Championship.
Geoff Allardice, the ICC CEO, praised Broad’s contributions, saying, “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.”
On the other hand, Sharfuddoula expressed his delight at being included in the elite panel, a goal he has been working towards for a long time. Having made his ODI debut in 2010, Sharfuddoula has officiated in ten Tests, 63 ODIs, and 44 T20Is in men’s cricket, as well as 41 women’s international matches.
“It is a great honor to be named on the ICC Elite Panel. To be the first from my country on the panel makes it extra special,” said Sharfuddoula. “I look forward to justifying the faith shown in me and am ready for more challenging assignments.”
The ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees now includes David Boon (Australia), Jeff Crowe (New Zealand), Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka), Andrew Pycroft (Zimbabwe), Richie Richardson (West Indies), and Javagal Srinath (India).
The ICC Elite Panel of Umpires consists of 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), and Joel Wilson (West Indies).
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