A Bangladesh Cricket Board official said on Sunday that ICC elite umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat is in India officiating the ongoing ODI series between India and New Zealand because he is contracted by the International Cricket Council and does not require BCB clearance.
The clarification came after Saikat was seen serving as a TV umpire during the opening ODI at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara, prompting questions in Bangladesh. The sighting followed the BCB’s statement that it was not ready to travel to India for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup because of security concerns, a position taken after a recent dispute between the two boards over the release of Mustafizur Rahman from Kolkata Knight Riders for the Indian Premier League.
BCB umpire department chairman Iftekhar Rahman told Cricbuzz that Saikat’s presence in India was entirely in line with his contractual obligations.
“He is an ICC contracted umpire and we are saying this clearly that he is not contracted with us,” Iftekhar said. “Now, in our contract it is written that when he has any ICC assignment, he will automatically be on leave from us. It will be an automatic leave and I do not need to give any NOC.”
Iftekhar added that the BCB has no authority to approve or deny such assignments. “In the job contract he has with me, it is written that if he has any ICC engagement, he must be automatically released. There is no authority for me to decide whether I give permission or not,” he said.
Saikat, who also officiated in a couple of matches during the ongoing Bangladesh Premier League T20, currently serves as the head of the BCB’s Umpire Education Department. Along with ICC international umpire Gazi Sohel, he is expected to be among the match officials for the ICC T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka.
