Officials for Zimbabwe series named

LAHORE: Aleem Dar has been assigned on-field duties in five of the six white-ball matches between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, which will be played from October 30 to November 10.

The three 50-overs ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League matches will be played in Rawalpindi.

Lahore will host the three 20-overs fixtures.

Aleem, three-time winner of ICC Umpire of the Year from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, will stand in all the three ODIs as well as the first and third T20I. He will be the third umpire for the second T20I.

The other umpires are Ahsan Raza, Asif Yaqoob, Rashid Riaz and Shozab Raza.

The ICC has appointed Prof Javed Malik, member of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees, as match referee for the series.

As per the ICC’s interim playing regulations, Aleem and Javed will be the ICC-appointed match officials.

When Ahsan Raza walks out to officiate the second T20I, he will become the first umpire to complete a half-century of T20Is. Aleem Dar is second on the list with 46 matches. Shozab Raza shares the fourth spot with South Africa’s Shaun George with 36 matches.

Ahsan, a former first-class cricketer, began his international umpiring career in February 2010 by standing in an ODI between Afghanistan and Canada at Sharjah Cricket Ground. Later that year in October, he officiated his first T20I match when Pakistan played South Africa at Abu Dhabi. Overall, the 46-year-old has stood in 85 international matches.

ODIs: 30 Oct, Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpires), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Rashid Riaz (fourth umpire)

1 Nov, Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire)

3 Nov, Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpires), Ahsan Raza (third umpire), Asif Yaqoob (fourth umpire)

T20Is: 7 Nov, Aleem Dar and Asif Yaqoob (on-field umpires), Rashid Riaz (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire)

8 Nov, Ahsan Raza and Rashid Riaz (on-field umpire), Aleem Dar (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire)

10 Nov, Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza (on-field umpire), Asif Yaqoob (third umpire), Shozab Raza (fourth umpire).