In international cricket, Aleem Dar is regarded as one of the most respected umpires. The 56-year-old is a member of the ICC Umpires Elite Panel. The game moderator, however, had experienced his fair share of highs and lows, the most horrific of which occurred early in his career. Dar recalled how his seven-month-old child died during the 2003 World Cup, and the family withheld the news from him for a month.
Prior to becoming an umpire, the Pakistani-born player was a first-class cricket player for Pakistan Railways, Allied Bank, Gujranwala, and Lahore. In December 2019, he officiated his 129th Test, breaking Steve Bucknor’s record for the most Test umpiring. The series was between Australia and New Zealand. Dar said, “That was the saddest moment of my life,” thinking back to his early years and the untimely death of his baby.
They knew that if I found out about my daughter’s passing, I would head back home right once. It was the beginning of my career as an ICC panel umpire, and it was a very significant job. After she passed away, I was kept in the dark for about a month. I only found out about it by coincidence in Johannesburg when a Pakistani man from my hometown of Sialkot came to pay his respects to me, Dar said, as reported by News18.
“At the moment, I was rather shocked, so I told the ICC right away and went back home. Later on, I learnt that my father had instructed his buddies in the media to refrain from printing the story,” he continued.
Aleem Dar leaves a legacy for future politicians to carry on.
Furthermore, on November 2, 2020, during the second ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe, Dar overtook South African umpire Rudi Koertzen for the record of most ODI umpirings with 210.
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He worked as an umpire for 23 years, officiating 145 Tests, 231 ODIs, and 72 T20Is before declaring his retirement in 2023. From 2009 to 2011, he was also the recipient of the ICC Umpire of the Year award three times in a row.
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