- Saman Zulfiqar, a match referee from Pakistan, has said she would like to oversee games on an international stage
- In the current Pakistan cricket season, Saman is the first and only female match referee
- She frequently officiates domestic women’s matches
One of her goals is to officiate games in the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Women’s T20 League’s maiden season the following year.
“I have been working as match referee since 2016,” Saman told in an exclusive interview.
“As a woman, my journey has been a difficult one since this is not an easy field. I live in Kasur, which is why travelling to Lahore regularly is a difficult task.
“My husband, children and other family members have always supported me, which has helped me pursue my dreams.
“I would request parents to back their daughters so that they can chose difficult and different fields professionally.”
In order to get additional experience prior to transitioning to the international stage, Saman hopes to join the umpiring panel for Boys U13, U16, and U19 in the future.
In 2019, GS Lakshmi of India became the first woman to be nominated to the International Panel of Match Referees of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“To be selected in the international panel by the ICC is a huge honour for me as it opens up new avenues. I have had a long career as a cricketer in India and also as a Match Referee. I hope to put my experience both as a player and as a match official to good use on the international circuit,” Lakshmi was quoted as saying by the ICC.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the ICC, officials at the BCCI, my seniors in the cricketing circuit, my family and colleagues who have supported me over the years. I hope to live up to their expectations by doing my job to the best of my ability,” she added.
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