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Bangladeshi umpire officiates in India amid diplomatic rift
While the Bangladesh cricket team refuses to set foot in India due to security concerns, a lone Bangladeshi official is currently at the center of the action on Indian soil.
Sharfuddoula, the first Bangladeshi umpire on the ICC Elite Panel, officiated as the TV umpire during the first ODI between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has officially informed the ICC that the national team will not travel to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup, citing “growing concerns regarding the safety and security of the Bangladesh contingent”.
This boycott follows the diplomatic fallout triggered by the Kolkata Knight Riders' (KKR) removal of pacer Mustafizur Rahman from their squad—a move that led the Bangladesh government to ban IPL broadcasts for the first time since the league's inception in 2008.
Despite the hostile political climate, Sharfuddoula’s appointment proceeded under standard ICC regulations. According to Clause 2.1.4, the ICC appoints one neutral umpire for ODIs from the Elite or International Panel.
Since Sharfuddoula is neither Indian nor Kiwi, his role as a neutral official remains valid, even as his home board demands “man-to-man” security guarantees for its players, reports UNB.