PCB announces match officials for Pakistan-England-Sri Lanka ODI tri-series

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the match officials for the upcoming ODI tri-series featuring Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka, with experienced international officials assigned to oversee the matches.

ICC Elite Panel match referee Jeff Crowe will serve as the match referee for the tri-series, while ICC Elite Panel umpires Ahsan Raza and Sharfuddoula will also be part of the officiating team.

The panel includes several other officials who will share on-field and video umpiring duties during the tournament. They include Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz, Faisal Afridi and Nasir Hussain, along with New Zealand umpire Wayne Knights.

The final of the tri-series will feature Ahsan Raza and Knights as the on-field umpires, while Sharfuddoula will serve as the third umpire.

Sharfuddoula is scheduled to perform third-umpire duties in four matches during the tournament, while Knights will take up the role in three games.

The PCB has also announced separate officiating panels for Pakistan’s upcoming T20 and Test series against Sri Lanka, making the coming months a busy period for match officials as well as the teams.

For the T20 series, ICC International Panel match referee Ali Naqvi has been appointed to oversee proceedings. Rashid Riaz, Nasir Hussain and Faisal Afridi will handle on-field and third-umpire responsibilities, while Tariq Rashid will serve as the fourth umpire in all three matches.

The three-match T20 series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be played in Rawalpindi on October 9, 11 and 13.

The ODI tri-series involving Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka will follow, with matches scheduled between October 18 and 31 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

The PCB has also named officials for the two-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

England’s emerging ICC referee Dan Cosker will make his Test match-refereeing debut in Rawalpindi. ICC Elite Panel umpires Rod Tucker, Adrian Holdstock and Allahudien Paleker will also be involved in the Test series.

Paleker and Tucker are set to handle third-umpire duties in the first and second Tests respectively.

Pakistan and Sri Lanka will play their two Tests from November 9 to 21, with matches scheduled in Rawalpindi and Lahore.

With three international teams set to feature across multiple formats, the appointment of experienced officials is expected to add another layer of preparation ahead of a packed cricket calendar in Pakistan.