Former ICC elite panel umpire, Pakistan's Asad Rauf said that he enjoyed the best time while officiating in the Indian Premier League (IPL), but yet again denied match-fixing allegations which ruined his career.
Notably, Rauf was a highly regarded umpire during his time, but his career was finished after the allegations of match-fixing against him during the infamous IPL 2013. He was accused of accepting expensive gifts from bookies apart from placing bets in the matches during IPL 2013.
After which, the umpire was banned for five years in 2016 by the BCCI, and then he never returned to the field despite he could make comeback. He is now running two shops – one sells second-hand apparel and another of crockeries – in Landa Bazar, in Lahore.
Speaking with a Pakistan-based broadcasting channel paktv.tv, Asad Rauf said of the match-fixing allegations: “I have spent my best time in IPL, apart from these issues that came later on. I had nothing to do with these issues, the allegations came from the BCCI’s side and they took the decision on me themselves.”
On being asked if he regretted not fighting the allegations and going back to umpiring, the 66-year-old said: “No, I’ve umpired in so many games all my life, there’s no one left to see now. I haven’t been in touch with the game since 2013, because once I leave something I leave it completely.”
Notably, Asad Rauf umpired in 98 ODIs, 49 Tests and 23 T20Is from 2000 to 2013.
(India Today inputs)
