Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat, Bangladesh’s sole representative on the ICC Elite Umpire Panel, shared his experiences from international cricket at a one-day workshop organised by the BCB’s Umpires Department. Since joining the top tier of ICC umpires, Saikat has officiated in several major international series, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, among others.
On Tuesday, Saikat arrived at the BCB Media Centre to engage with the country’s umpires and pass on his valuable insights from working on the big stage. Present at the workshop were another eight ICC-accredited Bangladeshi umpires: Gazi Sohel, Masudur Rahman Mukul, Morshed Ali Khan, Tanvir Ahmed, Champa Chakma, Dolly Rani Sarker, Rokea Sultana, and Sadhira Zakir Jessy.
The workshop primarily focused on sharing practical experiences rather than theoretical umpiring knowledge. Masudur Rahman Mukul elaborated on the session, stating, “There’s a lot in the books, but the match situation is always different. The pressure moments are where we make decisions, and that’s what we’re discussing today. Saikat is sharing his experience from the India-England series, and we are sharing ours from the Pakistan series. We plan to continue these knowledge-sharing sessions whenever we have some free time – either after a series, during the off-season, or before an upcoming series. For example, if the Tri-Nation series happens in August, this session will be useful.”
In addition, the ICC has recently introduced several rule changes, including concussion substitutes, the use of two balls in ODIs, powerplay adjustments in T20Is, and new regulations regarding boundary catches. These changes were implemented during the Bangladesh-Sri Lanka match on July 2. Umpire Saikat presented a PowerPoint on these new rules and their impacts, offering a detailed analysis.
Reflecting on the session, female umpire Rokea Sultana commented, “We have seen several changes in the rules recently, and those who have officiated under these new regulations shared their insights and experiences with us. It has been an excellent session for us. These experiences and insights will certainly help us in our future officiating.”
Earlier, on July 26 and 27, the BCB had also organised a special workshop for match referees at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. The session, which focused on match refereeing, included participation from former cricketers such as game development in-charge Habibul Bashar Sumon and selector Abdur Razzak.
This series of workshops is aimed at enhancing the knowledge and skills of Bangladeshi umpires and match referees to ensure they remain at the forefront of international cricket standards.