Veteran Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar stepped down from the ICC's Elite Panel of Umpires after having officiated a record 435 men’s international matches since his debut in 2000.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday (March 16) confirmed Dar’s exit while announcing the addition of South Africa’s Adrian Holdstock and Pakistan’s Ahsan Raza to the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Umpires for the 2022–23 season.
Dar has officiated in more Tests and ODIs than any other umpire, and in T20Is, he is only behind compatriot Ahsan. He won the David Shepherd Trophy three years in a row: 2009, 2010 and 2011. The Pakistani umpire also stood in the finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2007 and 2011.
Aleem, who was the first Pakistani umpire to be part of the ICC Elite Panel, also stood in the finals of the ICC T20 World Cup in 2010 and 2012.
Aleem Dar said in an ICC statement: “It has been a long journey, but I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have had the pleasure and honour of umpiring the world over and what I have achieved is something I did not even dream of when I started in the profession.”
Dar continued, “Though I am still keen to continue as an international umpire, I felt it was now the right time, after 19 years on the road, to step away from the Elite panel and provide an opportunity to someone from the International Panel. My message to umpires the world over is to work hard, maintain discipline and never stop learning.
I thank the ICC, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and my colleagues on the panel for their support over the years. I would also like to thank my family; without whose support I could not have gone on for so long. I look forward to continuing to serve the game as an umpire.”
Meanwhile, ICC Chief Executive Geoff Allardice congratulated Aleem by saying: “Aleem's contribution to international cricket and to the ICC has been truly remarkable.”
Allardice concluded, “Consistently elite performances over such a long period saw him enjoy enormous respect across all involved in international cricket. I wish Aleem all the best for the future and I am sure his involvement in the game will continue for many years to come.”
The other members of the panel are: Chris Gaffaney (New Zealand), Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka), Marais Erasmus (South Africa), Michael Gough (England), Nitin Menon (India), Paul Reiffel (Australia), Richard Illingworth (England), Richard Kettleborough (England), Rodney Tucker (Australia), Joel Wilson (West Indies).
(With ICC Inputs)
