DOHA: Shahid Saikat will become the first Bangladeshi umpire to officiate at an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup when he stands in the tournament opener between USA and Canada.
Saikat, 47, took charge of five matches at last year’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup and has also been on the panel at two ICC Women’s Cricket World Cups and the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2018.
The trailblazing official will be joined in the middle on the opening night by Richard Illingworth, who won the David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year for the third time in 2023 and took charge of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Final between India and Australia last year.
Richie Richardson will be the match referee in Dallas, with Sam Nogajski as TV umpire and Langton Rusere in place as fourth umpire.
Nogajski is one of five umpires making their senior men’s tournament debut in June, with Rashid Riaz to make his first appearance in the second match of the tournament, between Papua New Guinea and West Indies in Guyana. That match will also mark a milestone for match referee Andy Pycroft, who will bring up his 150th T20I.
Jayaraman Madanagopal’s debut will be later that day when Namibia and Oman go head-to-head in Barbados.
The first of Allahudien Paleker’s four on-field group games will be between USA and Pakistan, while fellow debutant Asif Yaqoob will line up alongside Nitin Menon for England’s clash with Scotland.
Illingworth and Rodney Tucker will be the on-field umpires for the eagerly-awaited Group A clash between India and Pakistan on June 9.
Kumar Dharmasena, Chris Gaffaney, Richard Kettleborough and Joel Wilson are among the other experienced officials returning for more World Cup action, with the knockout stage appointments to be announced at a later date. (ICC)
