Saikat threatens to quit domestic umpiring over Hridoy ban controversy

Bangladesh's only representative in the ICC Elite Panel, Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat, has threatened to step away from the domestic umpiring circuit, expressing his frustration over the handling of a disciplinary issue involving Mohammedan captain Towhid Hridoy.

Hridoy had been handed a one-match suspension following an on-field altercation with umpires Tanvir Ahmed and Saikat during a Dhaka Premier League (DPL) fixture against Abahani. He was subsequently issued another three demerit points for criticising the umpires, which was expected to result in an additional two-match suspension. However, after serving just the initial one-match ban, Hridoy returned to the line-up for the match against Agrani Bank, raising serious questions about the apparent reduction in his penalty.

The Cricket Committee of Dhaka Metropolis (CCDM) technical committee reportedly had no intention of reducing Hridoy's second suspension. Match referee Enamul Haque Moni stepped down as the committee's convener, and sources suggest that his resignation was directly linked to the controversy surrounding Hridoy's ban. The absence of a convener is believed to have delayed the implementation of the second penalty involving the additional demerit points.

Saikat, who was directly involved in the match where the incident occurred, is understood to be deeply disheartened by the way the situation was handled. Further complicating matters, the umpires' committee reportedly sent a memo to the CCDM outlining a change in the demerit point sanctions—suggesting that a suspension would now be triggered only after seven demerit points, as opposed to the previous standard of two matches for six points, in line with the Bangladesh Cricket Board's (BCB) Code of Conduct.

However, Saikat and others argue that such changes fall under the purview of the technical committee, not the umpires' department, adding to the confusion and discontent.