Dubai : Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar will become the third member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires to reach the milestone of 100 Test appearances when he will supervise the second Test of the four-match series between South Africa and England at Newlands on Saturday.
Speaking on his achievement, Aleem said that he was delighted to have reached the significant milestone in his career, adding that he was honored to be involved in the sport for so many years.
Privileged to have worked with some of the best match officials, the 47-year-old former off-spinner extended his gratitude to Pakistan Cricket Board and International Cricket Council (ICC) for their support.
“It is an enormous honour to be involved in a sport which has given me so much enjoyment, enabled me to travel the world and experience so many different cultures. To my family, I would like to pay a special tribute because I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the career I have had to date without their love and support. An umpire’s life can be challenging at times, with lots of time away from home, but they understand how important this is to me and have always given me their full support,” he added.
“I have been privileged to have worked alongside some of the very best match officials and have umpired in classic matches at iconic venues featuring modern-day greats. It is a great honour for me and one which I will cherish for many years to come.
Meanwhile, ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice described Aleem as one of the best umpires, adding that he was widely respected in the cricket community for his professionalism and reliability.
Aleem was selected in the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires in 2004. Since then, he has gone on to become one of the leading and most respected umpires in world cricket and was named as the ICC Umpire of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 2011, Aleem was awarded Pride of Performance, Pakistan’s highest civil award, while in 2013, he received Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Star of Excellence), Pakistan’s third-highest civil award. (ANI)