Pakistani Umpire Aleem Dar officially steps down from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires after 19 years on Friday. Dar received Guard of Honor from players and match officials following the one-off match between Bangladesh and Ireland.
The match ended in a seven-wicket win for Bangladesh. At the end of the game, players from both teams stood on both sides to give him the Guard of Honor. He has been a member of the Elite Panel since 2002 and has officiated more ODIs and Tests than any other umpire.
Aleem Dar also has a record of officiating 436 international matches including four World Cups. ICC confirmed his exit from the panel on 16th March 2023 in a press release.
“Dar was appointed to the ICC International Panel of Umpires in 2002 and officiated at the 2003 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Dar continued his rise as he was appointed as a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires in 2004. He was the first Pakistani to be appointed to the Elite Panel,” it added.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said: “Aleem’s contribution to international cricket and the ICC has been truly remarkable. 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.”
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Aleem Dar, also spoke about his long journey of being a part of the ICC Elite Panel of Umpire in a statement that read: “It has been a long journey, but I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have had the pleasure and honor of umpiring the world over and what I have achieved is something I did not even dream of when I started in the profession.”
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,” he added.