Bangladesh Cricket Board has signed Simon Taufel on a two-year deal to help improve local umpiring standards.
The former Australian official, once regarded as the best in the game, is set to land in Dhaka on September 13 to take charge of his new role.
There had been talk earlier of a three-year arrangement, but the board confirmed after its latest meeting that the contract will run for two.
Taufel will meet BCB officials the day after his arrival to set out the details of his work, including how many assistants he will have and when he will begin full-time duties.
Taufel, 53, is a familiar name in world cricket. He stood in his first ODI in 1999 and a Test a year later, rising quickly to the ICC’s elite panel. From 2004 to 2008, he was voted ICC Umpire of the Year five times in succession. By the time he stepped down in 2012, he had overseen 74 Tests, 174 ODIs and 34 T20 internationals, including World Cup matches and Ashes series.
The BCB expects his experience to filter down to domestic cricket, where umpiring has long been criticized for inconsistency. For Taufel, it marks a return to the international spotlight more than a decade after leaving the elite panel.