Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid said on Thursday it was a “great honour” to be named the first Bangladeshi to join the International Cricket Council’s Elite Panel of umpires. Sharfuddoula, 47, who last year became the first umpire from Bangladesh to take charge of a World Cup match, had been on the international panel since 2006. “It is a great honour to be named on the ICC Elite Panel,” Sharfuddoula said in an ICC statement. “To be the first from my country on the panel makes it extra special and I look forward to justifying the faith shown in me.” The elite umpire panel is responsible for officiating in the majority of men’s Tests and one-day internationals, with the match referee panel also overseeing Twenty20 internationals as well. Former off-spinner Sharfuddoula was forced to end his first-class career after just one season in 2001 due to a back injury, and joined the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) as its cricket operations manager. He quit the BCB job to become an umpire and has so far overseen 10 Tests, 63 one-day internationals, and 44 Twenty20 internationals.