The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has clarified the reason behind not renewing the contract of Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat, a prominent figure in Bangladeshi umpiring and a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires. The country’s cricket governing body officially clarified the matter in a press release on Tuesday.
The BCB’s central contract with the ICC Elite Panel umpire expired this past April, after which the board decided not to enter into a new contract. However, the BCB explicitly stated that performance issues or disciplinary actions played no role in this decision.
According to the BCB’s statement, Sharfuddoula was initially under contract with the board until December 2025. The duration of that contract was later extended to April 2026. Following its expiration, the contract was not renewed due to policy considerations.
The BCB cited Sharfuddoula’s increased duties and global commitments as part of the ICC Elite Panel as the primary reason for non-renewal. With his growing international umpiring workload, securing his regular availability for domestic duties under a BCB central contract becomes challenging. Addressing recent confusion in the media, the BCB outlined its stance:
Global Practice: It is not standard practice among full-member boards to retain ICC Elite Panel umpires under their respective central domestic contracts.
Scheduling Constraints: Aligning global international umpiring assignments with individual home board schedules and domestic requirements presents significant logistical challenges.
The board emphasized that the absence of a central contract does not close doors for Sharfuddoula in domestic cricket. Subject to his availability, the BCB can still assign him to umpire bilateral international series, domestic first-class matches, List ‘A’ fixtures, and T20 competitions.
This arrangement has already been demonstrated: despite his central contract ending in April, Sharfuddoula officiated during Bangladesh’s T20 series against Australia in June. Therefore, even without a central contract, he will continue to be engaged in BCB-assigned matches based on requirement and availability.
