Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat is on the cusp of becoming the first Bangladeshi umpire to officiate in the Men’s One Day International World Cup, set to be held in India in October-November.
He was one among 20 match officials named by the International Cricket Council Friday for the league round of the 13th edition of the game’s marquee 50-over competition.
Saikat, who has adjudicated in 13 Test matches, 85 ODIs and 59 Twenty20 internationals, previously officiated in the Women’s T20 World Cup, Women’s Cricket World Cup, Women’s Under-19 World Cup and the Men’s U-19 World Cup.
The first Bangladeshi umpire to have performed his duties in 100 matches in men’s international cricket, former cricketer Saikat has now added yet another feather to his already illustrious hat after being named on the officials’ roster for the upcoming flagship event.
Sixteen umpires will officiate in the forthcoming tournament, including all 12 of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and four members of the ICC Emerging Umpire Panel, they are: Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Michael Gough, Adrian Holdstock, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nitin Menon, Ahsan Raza, Paul Reiffel, Saikat, Rod Tucker, Alex Wharf, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
The Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees is represented at the event by a quartet of former international cricketers, namely, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Richie Richardson and Javagal Srinath.
Srinath will take charge of the tournament opener between the last event’s finalists, England and New Zealand on October 5 in Ahmedabad.
Menon and Dharmasena will be the standing umpires, with Paul Wilson as TV umpire and Saikat taking on fourth umpire duties.
The officials have been named for the entirety of the league segment, with the selections for the semi-finals and grand finale to be named later onwards.