Bangladesh Connection in India-New Zealand Match, ICC's Surprising Decision Amidst BCCI-BCB Dispute
Umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat in IND vs NZ 1st ODI: The three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand began at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara. This series is expected to be quite exciting, as the top two teams in the ODI rankings are facing each other on the field. The opening match also started in a spectacular fashion. But everyone's attention was drawn to an umpire named Sharfuddoula Saikat. Sharfuddoula Saikat was given the responsibility of TV umpire in this match, and he is a Bangladeshi umpire.
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Bangladeshi Umpire in India-New Zealand Match
Political and diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh are at their peak. In such a situation, everyone was surprised to see Sharfuddoula Saikat umpiring in India. This quickly became a major issue on social media, and fans started questioning the BCCI. However, the decision regarding umpires is not made by the BCCI but by the ICC. Only umpires from the ICC Elite Panel get the opportunity to umpire in international matches. In ODI and T20I matches, at least one umpire from the Elite Panel is appointed by the ICC for the series. Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat is also a part of this ICC Elite Panel.
Umpires Selection process for a Series
The ICC makes the final decision on the umpires included in the series and announces the appointments. This process is based on performance, experience, availability, and the requirement of neutral umpires. The match referee is also selected by the ICC from the Elite Panel. The third umpire (TV umpire) is also usually a neutral umpire from the ICC Elite Panel or International Panel, which is why Bangladeshi umpire Sharfuddoula Saikat has been appointed as the third umpire in the India-New Zealand ODI series. The host board (such as the BCCI) can only appoint the fourth umpire and domestic umpires for local matches, but the ICC selects the key umpires.
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Tensions between BCCI and BCB
In recent days, following the decision to exclude Mustafizur Rahman from IPL 2026, Bangladesh has banned the broadcast of the IPL in its country. Additionally, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has requested the ICC that all its matches in the T20 World Cup in February 2026 be played in Sri Lanka instead of India, citing concerns about player safety. In this atmosphere, the fact that a Bangladeshi umpire is playing a key role in an India-New Zealand match in India is surprising to many.
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