Match officials confirmed for historic Pakistan–Zimbabwe women’s series

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced the panel of match officials for the upcoming Pakistan v Zimbabwe Women’s series, set to be staged at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi from 4 to 15 May.

The six-match white-ball tour will comprise three One Day Internationals (ODIs) followed by three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). 

The ODI leg forms part of the ICC Women’s Championship 2025–29, making the series significant in the context of qualification pathways and rankings.

Sri Lanka’s Nimali Perera has been appointed as on-field umpire for all six fixtures, underlining her experience and consistency at the international level.

She will be supported by a group of PCB-appointed officials, including Zulfiqar Jan, Tariq Rasheed, Saleema Imtiaz, Faisal Afridi and Nasir Hussain, who will rotate across on-field, third umpire and reserve roles throughout the series.

Humairah Farah has been assigned reserve umpire duties for the ODI matches. Meanwhile, Kamran Choudhry, recently inducted into the PCB’s international panel of match referees, will oversee the ODI series. Ali Naqvi will serve as match referee for the T20I leg.

The opening ODI on 4 May will see Perera and Zulfiqar Jan officiating on the field, with Tariq Rasheed as third umpire. The series will conclude with the third T20I on 15 May, where Perera and Saleema Imtiaz will take charge on the field.

The three T20Is will serve as crucial preparation for Pakistan ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales from 12 June to 5 July.

Before the global tournament, Pakistan will also take part in a T20I tri-nation series in Ireland, featuring the hosts and the West Indies, with matches scheduled from 28 May to 4 June.