Aleem Dar scripts record, becomes first umpire to officiate 400 international matches on-field

Aleem Dar scripts record, becomes first umpire to officiate 400 international matches on-field

Aleem Dar

Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar has become the first umpire to officiate on-field in 400 international matches. Dar achieved the feat Saturday in the T20I match between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. With this game, he also became the umpire to have officiated in most T20Is on-field.

Aleem Dar already had the record of most appearances as an on-field umpire. He has stood in 136 Tests and 211 ODIs so far. Now he has surpassed compatriot umpire, Ahsan Raza, to officiate on-field in most T20Is. In total, Dar has officiated in 500 games, 400 being on-field and the other 100 as TV umpire.

Aleem Dar’s 21 year-long career

Aleem Dar
Aleem Dar

Aleem Dar made his debut as an international umpire in an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2000. And he has never looked back since. Dar is the first umpire from Pakistan in the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires. Before donning the umpire’s hat, Dar played 17 first-class and 18 List-A matches as a leg-spinner in the 1980s and 90s.

He was named the ICC Umpire of the year and was awarded the David Shepherd Trophy for three straight years between 2009 and 2011. It was also the first time that an umpire other than Simon Taufel won the award.

On the occasion, ICC took to Twitter to wish Dar for the achievement. “Congratulations to umpire Aleem Dar, who is standing in his 400th men’s international game today. What an achievement!” the ICC tweeted.

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