The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s recent promotion of umpires for the 2024-25 season has sparked controversy, with several sources suggesting that the decisions contradict the board’s commitment to merit, transparency, and fairness.
Allegations have surfaced that Bilal Qureshi, the Senior Manager of Umpires and Referees, bypassed standard procedures by seeking direct approval from PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, without informing Abdullah Khurram Niazi, the Director of Domestic Cricket.
Four umpires—Ahmad Shahab, Qaiser Waheed, Khalid Mehmood Sr., and Rana Arshad—have been elevated from the supplementary panel to the PCB Elite Panel.
These promotions have raised concerns within the umpiring department, as three of the promoted individuals had previously been demoted from the elite panel due to poor performance.
Typically, cricket boards follow a protocol where demoted umpires rarely return to the top level.
How these promotions were handled has led to personal bias and favoritism accusations. It is claimed that Qureshi intentionally excluded the Director of Domestic Cricket Niazi from the process, opting to secure approval directly from Chairman Naqvi instead.
This approach contradicts Naqvi’s public statements advocating for transparency and performance-based decisions.
A retired international umpire, speaking anonymously, expressed concern about the state of the umpiring department. He contrasted the current situation with earlier times when umpires like Aleem Dar and Asad Rauf were promoted based on merit.
The umpire urged both the chairman and the Director of Domestic Cricket to intervene, stressing the need to encourage umpires who meet international standards of fitness, skill, and professionalism. Qureshi has not commented on the allegations or the re-promotion of previously demoted umpires.
