ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC)’s Elite Panel Umpire Aleem Dar has equalled legendary umpire Steve Bucknor’s record of officiating in 128 Test matches.
The 51-year-old, who won three consecutive umpires of the year awards, termed this equaling of the world record an honour for himself and his country.
Dar equalled the record by officiating in the second Ashes Test match between Australia and England, which is currently being played at Lord’s in London. The first day of the match was washed out and the game began on the second day.
Dar praised Bucknor, while talking about this achievement, and was happy about reaching the milestone.
“Steve Bucknor is my role-model. To equal his Test record is a huge honour for me,” said Dar.
Dar, who has officiated in 206 one-day internationals (ODIs) and 43 T20 internationals, thanked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and his local club for providing him with the opportunities which helped him achieve this feat.
The veteran umpire thanked his family and friends for their support throughout his career. Dar was also thankful for the support provided by the International Cricket Council (ICC), whose support has helped him throughout his career.
The Pakistani umpire received significant backlash after a rush of bad decisions in the first Ashes Test between Australia and England. 10 decisions were overturned in the match. This prompted former greats such as Ricky Ponting to ask for the end of the rule for neutral umpires as he believed the best umpires were rendered unavailable for the Ashes series, due to this rule.
Dar is a beloved figure in Pakistan and promotes cricket in his country through a local club. He is likely to surpass the world record in the ongoing 2019 Ashes series.
