Introducing Mel Mahmood
At the Cricket on Ice Trophy 2026 we welcome Ms Mel Mahmood to the team of officials. We asked Mel to share a few words of introduction with us, and are very happy to introduce her to the wider Cricket on Ice community in this article.
Mel Mahmood lives in Sheffield, England and is married to our commentator for this year Rash Mahmood, who is the commentator for the England Men’s Over 60 team.
Mel’s earliest memories of cricket were watching it on the TV with her beloved grandad Frank, but as no cricket was played by girls at the time in school, it wasn’t until many years later that she had the opportunity to take part, and on doing so, she was hooked.
Mel was part of the Higham Women’s & Girls team in Barnsley that initially played softball cricket. She soon found she had a natural aptitude for batting and fielding, but in her own words, described her bowling as “Not very good.”
From Higham, she moved to her local club, Oughtibridge in Sheffield, where she was integral to setting up a Women’s team at the club.
A chance remark, some 4 years ago to a South Yorkshire umpiring legend Terry Bentham, led to Mel embarking on an umpiring course, and after qualifying as an umpire, she has continued to stand in the South Yorkshire Premier Cricket League ever since, gaining recognition in her first season and being awarded the New Umpire of the Year Award, pictured here being presented with the trophy by Terry Bentham.
Mel has stood in non-international matches in the UK and abroad, standing in 2024 at The Chepauk Stadium in Chennai, India, as England Over 60’s Men played the Madras Cricket Club. She has also umpired in Italy, where a mixed England/Wales team played both the Vatican City Cricket Club, and the Italian champions Roma. She also stood when The Vatican City visited the UK last summer standing in 2 x T20 matches between The Vatican City and England & the England Lions at the magnificent Wormsley Estate. Later that summer in the UK, she was standing as Yorkshire played the touring Pakistan Over 60’s, having the dubious distinction of being questioned by the Pakistani legend Salim Malik as she gave him out LBW !!
Mel also accompanied the England Over 60 team on their tour of Australia in late 2024, standing in 3 matches, AT Doncaster/Fitzroy in Victoria, and then back-to-back matches in 36 degree heat in Western Australia.
Mel’s umpiring style draws a lot of compliments. She reads the game very well, and her paramount concern is that of player safety and welfare. She is by nature, a bright, bubbly character and this is evident to see when she takes to the pitch to officiate, when she is more often than not engaging and talking with players.
Mel is a Level 3 umpire in the UK and is highly regarded both by her colleagues in the South Yorkshire League, and by colleagues she has stood with abroad.
Mel takes an active role in promoting Women’s & Girls cricket, setting up the South Yorkshire Women’s League which goes from strength to strength. She is also a member of the League Executive Board, for South Yorkshire Cricket, and works tirelessly in promoting both softball and hardball cricket for Women in South Yorkshire and the wider county of Yorkshire as a whole.
Mel is an excellent appointment to the umpiring panel for Cricket On Ice 2026, as being a former Police Officer with 22 ½ year’s service with South Yorkshire Police, Mel is used to dealing with extremes, and can be relied upon to perform her duties with a cool, calm and collected demeanour.
You can meet Mel at Cricket on Ice 2026 (11-14.2.2026).