PCB Confirms New Umpire and Referee Panels Nationwide
Pakistan Cricket Board has finalised its panels of umpires and match referees for the 2025-26 cricket season, featuring a blend of seasoned officials and promising newcomers.
According to the official release, Ali Naqvi has been appointed to lead the list in the ICC International Panel of Match Officials, which includes five prominent names.
The panel features match referee Ali Naqvi and umpires Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Khan Afridi, Rashid Riaz Waqar, and Saleema Imtiaz, who are now eligible to officiate international fixtures.
PCB has also named ten referees in the National Elite Panel, including Aleem Khan Musa, Athar Laik, Bilal Moinul Haq Khilji, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kamran Chaudhry, Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Iqbal Sheikh, Nadeem Arshad, Sohail Idris, and Ali Naqvi.
The National Elite Panel of Umpires consists of 18 members, including Abdul Muqit, Ali Haider, Asif Yaqoob, Farooq Ali Khan, Faisal Khan Afridi, Ghulam Sarwar, and Rashid Riaz Waqar.
The details further added that two supplementary umpiring panels have also been established to encourage developing officials.
Supplementary I includes 14 umpires such as Asif Farooq Awan and Muhammad Fayyaz, while Supplementary II features 24 newly promoted umpires, including Noorul Hakam and Muhammad Shafiq Elahi.
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Additionally, the Supplementary Panel of Match Referees includes ten names, among them Abul Hasnat Rao, Ali Gohar, and Thaman Zulfiqar. A 40-member Emerging Panel has been introduced to identify and train young talent from across Pakistan.
For women cricket, a 13-member panel has been announced with representation from multiple cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Multan.
The panel features Aafia Amin, Salima Imtiaz, Fakhra Kazim Syeda, Sania Ashraf, and Zakia Gul, reinforcing PCB efforts toward inclusivity and equal opportunities in officiating.
Yesterday, the cricket board finalised a 16-member squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa, starting on October 12 in Lahore.
Earlier announced as an 18-member lineup, the selectors dropped left-arm spinner Faisal Akram and all-rounder Aamer Jamal from the final squad.
Shan Masood will continue to captain the national side as Pakistan begins its ICC World Test Championship 2025–27 campaign.
The first Test will be played at Gaddafi Stadium, while the second will take place in Rawalpindi.
