LAHORE: Pakistan umpire Saleema Imtiaz entered the record books as the first female umpire from the country to officiate at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Saleema replaced Lauren Agenberg on the Women’s T20 World Cup umpiring panel and officiated the India vs South Africa fixture at Old Trafford on 21 June as fourth umpire. Later that same day, she officiated the Sri Lanka vs Ireland match as a TV umpire.
Saleema also stood on-field during the India vs Bangladesh match at Old Trafford and will finish her stint as TV umpire between England and New Zealand at the Oval and as fourth umpire for the Australia v India match at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
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In September 2024, she became Pakistan’s first woman umpire on the ICC International Development Panel.
Overall, she has officiated in nine WODIs and 58 WT20Is after starting her umpiring career with the PCB women’s panel in 2008. The 54-year-old is also the mother of former Pakistan women’s international Kainat Imtiaz.
After setting the landmark, she shared her thoughts and expressed pride in representing Pakistan at the global stage.
“It is a great pleasure to be representing Pakistan at the biggest stage and an honor to become the first woman from my country to officiate in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup,” she said.
“I’m immensely thankful to everyone including my family and the PCB for the invaluable support throughout this journey. Hopefully, I can inspire more women in girls back home to take up cricket professionally as a player as well as a match official,” she added.
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