Pakistan’s Aleem Dar is counted among the best umpires in the world of cricket. Dar holds the record of umpiring in the most number of international matches. Aleem Dar umpired in 145 Tests, 231 ODIs and 72 T20 Internationals in his career between 2000 and 2023. Players also had to think many times before challenging Dar’s decisions. Now Aleem Dar has shared the saddest moment of his life.
Dar made a painful revelation
Aleem Dar said that in the early days of his international career in 2003, his wife and family members hid the news of the death of his 7-month-old daughter from him. Dar told a Pakistani channel that when he was umpiring in the 2003 World Cup, his wife and family did not tell him about the death of his newborn daughter.
56-year-old Dar said on the show, ‘This was the beginning of my career as an ICC panel umpire and it was a very important tournament for my career. He knew that if I came to know about my daughter’s death, I would return home immediately.’ This highly respected Pakistani umpire said that when he finally came to know about his daughter’s death, it was the saddest moment of his life and he felt very sad.
I was kept in the dark: Dar
Aleem Dar said, ‘After his death, I was kept in the dark for almost a month. And I came to know about it by chance in Johannesburg where a Pakistani man belonging to my hometown Sialkot came to offer me his condolences. I was shocked at that time and I immediately informed the ICC and returned home.’
Aleem Dar said that as soon as he came to know about his daughter, he called his wife and she started crying on the phone. I later came to know that my father had strictly told the media friends not to publish this news.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)