BCB clarifies umpire Sharfuddoula's contract termination

The Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Tuesday that they have decided not to renew ICC Elite Panel umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat's contract after April 2026 due to his increasing international commitments.

It was previously reported that the BCB had terminated Sharfuddoula's contract after April, which prompted the board to issue a clarification suggesting otherwise.

“The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has taken note of recent media reports concerning International Cricket Council (ICC) Elite Panel Umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat’s engagement with the Board, which may have caused some confusion or misunderstanding about his current status,” BCB said in a statement.

"Sharfuddoula was under contract with the Board as a BCB Umpire. His contract expired in December 2025 and was subsequently extended until April 2026. Following the completion of the extended term, no further extension of the contract was pursued taking into account Sharfuddoula’s growing responsibilities as an ICC Elite Panel Umpire and the possibility that these could reduce the opportunities for him to contribute to the BCB in the same capacity. His previous contract with the Board therefore concluded in April 2026,” it said.

“It may also be noted that placing ICC Elite Panel Umpires under central contracts is not standard practice among Full Member countries, largely because of the difficulty of balancing their international officiating commitments with the scheduling requirements of national boards. The BCB however, may engage Sharfuddoula for bilateral international series as well as domestic First Class, List A and T20 competitions, subject to his availability. At the conclusion of his contract in April 2026, Sharfuddoula was appointed by the BCB to officiate in the T20I series against Australia in June 2026 under a similar arrangement,” it added.

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