Ahsan Raza

Ahsan Raza is a Pakistani cricket umpire and former cricketer. He holds the distinction of being the first on-field umpire to officiate in 50 T20I matches.

Career

Raza began his professional journey as a cricketer. He played for several Pakistani teams, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha and Habib Bank Limited. After his playing days, he transitioned into officiating. He made his debut as a first-class umpire in 2006. By the end of February 2009, he had already umpired 35 matches.

The Pakistan Cricket Board awarded him an umpire contract in 2012. He received this alongside Zameer Haider and Shozab Raza. His international presence grew through various ICC tournaments. He served as an on-field umpire during the 2018 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and the 2018 ICC Women's World Twenty20. In October 2019, the ICC appointed him as one of twelve umpires for the 2019 ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in the United Arab Emirates.

Raza reached a significant milestone in November 2020. During the second T20I between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, he officiated his 50th T20I match as an on-field umpire. This achievement made him the first person to reach that specific number in T20I cricket. He also received a major appointment in February 2020 when the ICC named him for the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia. He served as one of two on-field umpires for the final of that tournament.

His career progressed to the highest levels of the sport. In January 2021, he umpired his first Test match during Pakistan's home series against South Africa. He is currently Pakistan's nominated third umpire on the International Cricket Council International Panel of Umpires and Referees. In March 2023, Raza and Adrian Holdstock were inducted into the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires after Aleem Dar left the panel. He was named as one of sixteen match officials for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. Most recently, in May 2024, he was selected as one of 23 match officials for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Personal life

Ahsan Raza was born on 29 May 1974. He experienced a traumatic event while performing his duties in the field. On 3 March 2009, he was serving as the reserve umpire for a Test match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Lahore. While he was travelling in a vehicle, the transport was targeted in a terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.

The attack resulted in critical injuries for Raza. He was shot twice during the incident. Medical staff took him to the hospital in a serious condition following the shooting.

Awards and recognition

Raza earned recognition for his consistency on the field. In December 2020, he was shortlisted as one of the Umpire of the Year candidates for the 2020 PCB Awards.