ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced the match officials for HBL Pakistan Super League 9, scheduled to take place across four venues from February 17 to March 18.
A total of fourteen matches would be played from February 17 to 27 across Lahore and Multan, while Karachi and Rawalpindi will stage sixteen matches from February 28 to March 12, PCB said in a statement on Monday.
The match officials for the Qualifier, 2 eliminators, and final, to be played in Karachi from March 14 to 18, would be announced in due course.
Four members of the ICC’s elite panel of umpires – Chris Gaffaney, Ahsan Raza, Richard Illingworth, and Michael Gough – would be accompanied by Tariq Rasheed, Shozab Raza, Abdul Moqeet, Aleem Dar, Rashid Riaz, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Faisal Afridi, Asif Yaqoob, Nasir Hussain, Imran Jawed, Alex Wharf, and Muhammad Asif.
Among the foreign umpires, Illingworth, who has previously officiated in 6 editions of the PSL, has served as an umpire in 48 matches in the league. England’s Gough, who has appeared in 4 editions previously, has officiated 34 matches, followed by Wharf (eleven matches) and Sri Lanka’s Palliyaguruge (3 matches).
New Zealand’s Gaffaney to Make Debut in PSL
New Zealand’s Gaffaney would make his league debut, officiating his first match between Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on February 18.
Roshan Mahanama, who has officiated 97 HBL PSL games and was also a former member of the ICC’s elite panel of match referees, would be in his 9th successive year and will lead a team of 3 match referees, with other members being Muhammad Javed and Ali Naqvi.
The opening match between defending champions Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United in Lahore will be officiated by senior umpires Aleem Dar and Michael Gough on the field. Tariq Rasheed will be the TV Umpire, while Shozab Raza will perform the duties of reserve umpire during the match. Muhammad Javed will perform the duties of match referee in the game.
