Bangladesh’s only representative in the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat, worked his way up from domestic cricket to the top. However, a look at the list of match referees shows few former cricketers with the notable exceptions of Rokibul Hasan and Niamur Rashid Rahul, neither of whom are in the ICC’s elite panel. They mostly officiate in home T20 matches.
To address this gap, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) arranged a special two-day workshop on match refereeing, held on 26 and 27 July at the BCB Media Centre’s dining lounge. The course focused on the responsibilities of match referees and included participation from Game Development Head Habibul Bashar Sumon and selector Abdur Razzak.
Among those attending were former first-class cricketer Fazle Mahmud Rabbi and former women’s team captain Rumana Ahmed. Elite panel umpire Saikat was also present. The opening day of the workshop was led by BCB’s Chief Match Referee Rokibul Hasan. Overall, the event turned into a gathering of both former and current first-class cricketers at the BCB Media Plaza.
Asked why she wants to become a match referee, Asia Cup-winning women’s cricketer Rumana Ahmed told Times of Bangladesh:
“Why not? It’s a very respectable role. I love cricket. I always say that. I never want to leave cricket entirely. That’s why I previously completed an umpiring course, and now that there’s an opportunity to take this match refereeing course, I’m doing it. It’s all part of my desire to stay connected to the game.”
Rumana’s playing career isn’t officially over, even though she has largely fallen out of favour with the national team. Still, she doesn’t want to take up full match refereeing duties until she retires as a player.
Asked whether she sees herself as a match referee or umpire in five years’ time, Rumana, who has played 50 ODIs and 87 T20Is for Bangladesh, replied:
“Umpiring is actually a very tough job. Although I’ve completed the course, I haven’t made a final decision yet, since I’m still an active player. I want to wait until I finish my playing career before deciding anything. I don’t want to complicate things I’ll do whatever feels right and manageable.”
Former national captain Habibul Bashar Sumon, now Head of Game Development at BCB and previously a selector, viewed the course as a chance to gain new knowledge.
“Taking the course doesn’t mean I’ll become a match referee,” he told Times of Bangladesh. “But I’ve learned something new and gained a fresh perspective. I enjoyed it. I always try to learn something. Now I’ve got a clearer idea about what match referees do.”
Former left-arm spinner and current selector Abdur Razzak, on the other hand, seemed more serious about the training. Speaking to Times of Bangladesh, he said that with the right opportunities, he would be open to taking on a refereeing role in the future.
“If the facilities are there, there’s no reason not to get involved,” Razzak said. “We’re cricket people, we want to stay in the game. To work in this area, you need a strong understanding of everything involved. That’s important. I want to learn, and I want to stay connected.”