ICC, PCB should recognise services of Aleem Dar: Saqlain

KARACHI: Pakistan’s former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to recognise the estimable services of famous umpire Aleem Dar by honouring him in a way that best suits stature of such a figure.

Saqlain said in a Youtube video said, “I salute Aleem Dar. He is a great legend, who served cricket a lot. He is a great ambassador of cricket and ICC. PCB should think about that. Similarly, the ICC should also pay him tribute.”

He further said that Aleem had spent a disciplined life with utmost honesty. “I think he is very much inspirational for all Pakistani umpires and cricketer lovers around the globe.

“In umpiring he has the most international appearances. During my playing days, I saw every country trusted him. They wanted him to be their umpire,” he added.

Mushtaq claimed that as a professional umpire Aleem Dar was a dead honest person, who never favored any particular player or a team.

He said, “I’ve never heard anybody speaking ill of him. I’d been in English team’s dressing room [as a spin bowling consultant in 2016] and whenever there was a talk about the best umpires; Aleem had been at the top of the list”.

“The English players used to say that he is a dead honest man and his decisions are extremely outstanding,” he admired.

Saqlain said that he had also heard players of other international teams including Australia, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh expressing the same opinions about Aleem.

He said that although Aleem Dar had won several ‘Umpire of the Year’ awards, he deserved more accolades.

A member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, Aleem has stood as umpire in 132 Tests, 208 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and 46 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is).

A recipient of President’s Award for Pride of Performance, he won the ICC ‘Umpire of the Year’ award three times in a row – in 2009, 2010 and 2011.