\u201cJourney has been filled with hard work and personal sacrifices […] it all feels worth it,\u201d says Saleema
\n LAHORE
\nPakistan\u2019s Saleema Imtiaz has made history by becoming the first woman umpire from the country to be nominated to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires which will allow her to to officiate in women\u2019s bilateral international matches and ICC Women\u2019s events.
\nSaleema, who\u2019s also the mother of Pakistan women\u2019s international player Kainat Imtiaz, began her career as an umpire with the Pakistan Cricket Board\u2019s (PCB) Women\u2019s Umpires Panel in 2008.
\nThroughout her career, she has officiated high-profile events under the Asian Cricket Council, such as the 2022 and 2024 ACC Women\u2019s T20 Asia Cup, the 2023 ACC Emerging Women\u2019s Cup in Hong Kong and most recently she was a member of the playing control team for the ACC Women\u2019s Premier Cup 2024 in Kuala Lumpur.
\nFollowing her inclusion in the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires, Saleema will officiate the Pakistan-South Africa women\u2019s T20I series in Multan set to begin on Monday (tomorrow).
\nDuring tomorrow\u2019s match, she will be accompanied by Faisal Aafreedi from the PCB International Panel of Umpires with Nasir Hussain as the TV umpire, while Humairah Farah will serve as the fourth umpire and Muhammad Javed Malik from the PCB International Panel of Match Referees will oversee the series as match referee.
\nHard work, personal sacrifices
\nExpressing her views on the development, an elated Saleema said: \u201cI am beyond thrilled to join the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires\u201d.\u201dThe journey has been filled with hard work and personal sacrifices, but now, standing at the cusp of this new chapter, it all feels worth it,\u201d she remarked, adding that this is not a win only for her but for \u201cevery aspiring female cricketer and umpire in Pakistan\u201d.
\n\u201cI hope my success motivates countless women who dream of making their mark in the sport,\u201d said the woman umpire. \u201cThis moment reflects the growing influence of women in cricket [….] I sincerely hope to see more women follow in my footsteps and embrace this beautiful game,\u201d she added.
\nReflecting on her dream, she said that ever since her daughter made her debut for the national side in 2010, she herself had wanted to represent Pakistan at the international level.
\n\u201cWhile I\u2019ve had opportunities with the Asian Cricket Council, officiating at the highest level has always been the ultimate goal. I\u2019m now focused on performing to the best of my abilities in both bilateral and ICC matches and building my reputation as a reliable and respected match official,\u201d Saleema noted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u201cJourney has been filled with hard work and personal sacrifices […] it all feels worth it,\u201d says Saleema LAHORE Pakistan\u2019s Saleema Imtiaz has made history by becoming the first woman umpire from the country to be nominated to the ICC International Panel of Development Umpires which will allow her to to officiate in women\u2019s bilateral […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":431504,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-431493","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n