Flashback: The record-holder for officiating in most ODIs

Officiating a cricket match is one of the most thankless jobs in cricket which is thrown under the scanner with the slightest error or misjudgment from the most important men in the middle. While the match officials get the decisions accurate more often than not, a poor decision often invites scrutiny, given its impact on the game. The game of cricket has been graced by some remarkable umpires over the years, but in terms of consistency, it has to be argued that Aleem Dar probably has been a cut above the rest. The diminutive umpire is the official with the most ODIs under his belt, standing in a record 219 ODI matches.

Hailing from Pakistan, Dar made his umpiring debut in 2000, officiating the game between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It took him two years to break into the ICC panel, garnering him the opportunity to stand in the 2003 World Cup matches. The same year he made his umpiring debut in Tests in a match between Bangladesh and England in Dhaka.

While Dar’s playing career went unnoticed, he gained popularity in the cricketing fraternity for his impeccable decision-making and calm demeanour even in the toughest of situations. His reputation at the highest level took a dent after his involvement in the World Cup final misinterpretation between Australia and Sri Lanka in 2007, which lead to his ban from the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa.

But Dar’s rise continued despite that setback, and in the year 2020, he broke RE Koertzen’s record of officiating most ODIs, standing in his 210th match in the 50-over format between Zimbabwe and Pakistan on his home soil. He has racked up 219 matches in his ODI umpiring career so far and also holds the record of standing in most Test matches, 140.