Lahore, In a significant move towards promoting gender equality in cricket, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has introduced monthly retainers for its Women Panel of Umpires. This initiative marks the first time the PCB has provided such financial support to female umpires in the country.

According to Pakistan Cricket Board, all seven umpires in the Women Panel will receive a monthly retainer of PKR32,000. This decision follows the PCB’s recent organization of a four-day Female Umpires induction course in Lahore. Notably, the course saw the participation of 13 individuals, including Pakistan women’s team captain Nida Dar and former international cricketer Sukhan Faiz.

In addition to the retainers, the PCB provides its match officials with other benefits during the cricket season. These include match fees, daily allowances, hotel accommodations, and both air and ground travel.

PCB Senior Manager – Umpires and Referees, Bilal Qureshi, expressed his enthusiasm for the growing involvement of women in the field of umpiring. He emphasized that the introduction of monthly retainers, along with accommodation and travel provisions, is aimed at ensuring female umpires feel valued and respected. This initiative is expected to motivate more women to pursue umpiring as a profession and progress in this field.

The PCB’s Women’s Panel of Umpires currently comprises seven members: Afia Amin, Humairah Farah, Nazia Nazir, Riffat Mustafa, Sabahat Rasheed, Saleema Imtiaz, and Shakila Rafiq. This move by the PCB is a positive step towards enhancing women’s participation and recognition in cricket, aligning with broader efforts to promote gender equality in sports.