PCB announces umpires, match referees panels for 2025-26 season.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has declared its panels of umpires and match referees for the 2025-26 cricket season, highlighting a mix of experienced officials and emerging talent across men’s and women’s cricket.
Ali Naqvi leads the list in the ICC International Panel of Match Officials.
ICC international panel
The International Panel of Match Officials includes five top referees and umpires:
Ali Naqvi (Match Referee)
Asif Yaqoob (Islamabad)
Faisal Khan Afridi (Sargodha)
Rashid Riaz Waqar (Lahore)
Saleema Imtiaz (Karachi)
These officials are now part of the ICC International Panel, eligible for officiating in international matches.
Also read: PCB issues NOCs to Babar, Shaheen and others for global leagues
PCB national panels
Elite panel of match referees
Ten match referees have been named to 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.
National elite panel of umpires
The National Elite Panel of Umpires features 18 officials: Abdul Muqit, Ali Haider, Asif Yaqoob, Farooq Ali Khan, Faisal Khan Afridi, Ghulam Sarwar, Imran Javed, Imranullah Aslam, Kashif Sohail, Khalid Mahmood Senior, Muhammad Sajid, Nasir Hussain, Qaiser Khan, Rashid Riaz Waqar, Saqib Khan, Syed Imtiaz Iqbal, Tariq Rashid, and Zulfiqar Jan.
Supplementary panels
Supplementary I Panel of Umpires: 14 members, including Asif Farooq Awan, Hassan Mahmood, Irfan Haider, Muhammad Fayyaz, and Syed Faheem Ahmed Bukhari.
Supplementary II Panel of Umpires: 24 umpires promoted from the Emerging Panel, including Noorul Hakam, Hidayatullah, Maqbool Ahmed, Mumtaz Ali, and Muhammad Shafiq Elahi.
Supplementary Panel of Match Referees: 10 members, including Abul Hasnat Rao, Ali Gohar, and Thaman Zulfiqar.
Emerging panel of umpires
A 40-member Emerging Panel has been formed to nurture young umpiring talent from across Pakistan, featuring officials like Aamir Atta, Abdul Basit, Abrar Ahmed, Adnan Rashid, Khalid Younis, Muhammad Aamir Sharif, and Wasimuddin.
Also read: Who is Hina Munawar? PCB’s pick for manager of men’s cricket team
Women’s panel
The PCB Women’s Panel includes 13 umpires from across Pakistan, representing Karachi, Kasur, Khairpur, Lahore, Multan, and Muzaffarabad. Notable members include Aafia Amin, Salima Imtiaz, Fakhra Kazim Syeda, Sania Ashraf, and Zakia Gul.
