Aleem Dar Set To Break Steve Bucknor's Record For Most Tests As Umpire

There was a phase when the umpire’s decision was final. Be it right or wrong decision, the batsman had to make his way back to the dressing room after the umpire raises his finger. At times, players were fined some part of their match fees for showing dissent towards the umpire’s decision. Some of the decisions were so bad that it only strengthened the feeling that technology can come in handy. However, Aleem Dar lived up to his reputation of being one of the elite umpires in the gentleman’s game.

Majority of his decisions serve a testament to the fact. The 51-year-old Aleem Dar is all set to add one more feather to his hat when he officiates the first Test match between Australia and New Zealand, which starts on December 12. In the process, he will break Steve Bucknor’s record of most Test matches as an umpire.

The Pakistani umpire will overtake the former West Indies’ umpire in the list of Test umpires as he officiates in his 129th Test in Perth. Aleem Dar made his debut as a batsman in Dhaka in 2003 during England’s tour of Bangladesh after playing first-class cricket in Pakistan for a decade.

He starting his international career as an umpire in 2000 during Pakistan’s home ODI series against Sri Lanka and since then he has officiated in 207 One Day Internationals. He is only two matches short of the record of 209 matches held by South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen. As far as the shortest format is concerned, Aleem Dar has officiated in 46 matches.

Aleem Dar happy to create history when he takes the field

Aleem Dar expressed his delight after knowing that he will achieve the landmark on Thursday. He said: “This is one milestone I had never thought of when I began my umpiring career. It is a truly amazing feeling and a high point of my life when I take the field here in Australia; thousands of miles from where I started my international career at home in Gujranwala.”

Aleem Dar also added that Steve Bucknor was his idol. “Steve Bucknor was my idol and it is only sinking in now that I will have officiated in more Test matches than him,” he added.

He went on to credit his family for supporting him through and through and also thanked ICC and PCB for giving him an opportunity to officiate international matches. “It has been a long journey which would not have been possible without the support of my family. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them as well as the International Cricket Council and the Pakistan Cricket Board for giving me the chances I got,” he added.

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