da luck： The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) overlooked its umpire onthe International Cricket Council (ICC) panel whilereleasing umpires’ postings for the Test series against theWest Indies to be played in Sharjah
11-Jan-2002The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) overlooked its umpire onthe International Cricket Council (ICC) panel whilereleasing umpires’ postings for the Test series against theWest Indies to be played in Sharjah.Riazuddin, who is on the ICC panel, was reduced to a TVumpire for the first Test to be officiated by Mian Aslam.Shakeel Khan will stand in the other Test.So much so, Riaz was not even considered good enough for theone-day series for which the PCB named four umpires.The PCB’s decision is mindboggling, strange and contradictsits policy of promoting its umpires on ICC panel. The PCBhas been complaining to the ICC that its umpires have beenrepeatedly ignored.The PCB has also been trying to get at least one of itsumpire on the elite eight-umpire panel which will beintroduced in April. But here, the PCB has weakened its caseas well as of Riaz since it has itself not considered himgood enough to stand in the centre.To rub salt into the wound, Asad Rauf, a former first-classplayer who took up umpiring about five years ago, has beengiven three matches.Controversial Englishman Mike Denness, who penalized sixIndian cricketers on the tour to South Africa late lastyear, has been appointed as match referee by the ICC. Themother body has yet to confirm third country umpires.The following is the tour itinerary with umpirepostings:Jan 31-Feb 4: First Test (ICC umpire, Mian Aslam. TVumpire: Riazuddin).Feb 7-Feb 11: Second Test (ICC umpire, Shakeel Khan.Tv umpire: Asad Rauf).Feb 13: First One-day International (Salim Badar,Nadeem Ghauri. TV umpire: Asad Rauf).Feb 15: Second One-day International (Aleem Dar, AsadRauf. TV umpire: Salim Badar).Feb 17: Third One-day International (Salim Badar,Aleem Dar. TV umpire: Nadeem Ghauri).Pakistan and the West Indies teams are scheduled to arrivein Sharjah on Jan 27.