PCB Under Fire for Controversial Umpire Promotions

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) recent promotion of umpires for the 2024-25 season has caused a stir, with multiple sources thinking that the decisions taken may have contradicted the board’s claims of prioritizing merit, transparency, and fairness.

Sources claim that Bilal Qureshi, the Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees, allegedly sidestepped standard procedures by getting direct approval from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, with the Director of Domestic Cricket Abdullah Khurram Niazi, not being informed about these actions.

Four umpires, namely Ahmad Shahab, Qaiser Waheed, Khalid Mehmood Sr., and Rana Arshad have been promoted from the supplementary panel to the PCB Elite Panel. These promotions have caused quite a few doubts about the internal dynamics of the PCB’s umpiring department.

Three of the aforementioned umpires had previously been demoted from the elite panel due to subpar performance. This entire scenario is in stark contrast to the standard operating procedures of most cricket boards where umpires once demoted, rarely regain their top-level positions.

The way the promotion process was managed has raised worries about personal biases and potential favouritism within the PCB. Sources suggest that Bilal Qureshi intentionally left Director of Domestic Cricket Abdullah Khuram Niazi out of the loop, seeking direct approval from the chairman on his own.

This method appears to conflict with Chairman Naqvi’s proclaimed leadership principles of transparency in performance-based decisions.

A retired international umpire, who wished to remain anonymous, voiced concerns about the current condition of the umpiring department. He compared it to earlier times when promising and fit umpires like Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf were promoted based on merit.

He stressed the importance of the chairman and the Director of Domestic Cricket stepping in to address the situation, advocating for the promotion of umpires who meet international standards of fitness, skill, and professionalism. Bilal Qureshi did not comment on the allegations of bypassing the Director of Domestic Cricket for the chairman’s approval, nor did he address the issue of previously demoted umpires being promoted again.