Umpires who have officiated the most ODIs

Umpiring is one of the toughest jobs in cricket as the officials are constantly under the magnifying glass. It takes a substantial degree of mental fortitude to have a long-lasting career as an umpire, and only a handful have managed to do so without compromising their decision-making skills. Here are the umpires who stood in most ODI matches in the history of cricket.

Billy Bowden (New Zealand) – 200 matches

Billy Bowden had an unblemished umpiring record at the top level but perhaps he was more popular for his unorthodox mannerisms on the field, especially his signals for maximum, where he hopped on his leg to touch the sky. The Kiwi’s cricketing career was cut short due to the onset of arthritis at a young age which steered him into officiating matches. There have been several notable international umpires over the year, but none as capable as Bowden to draw the attention of the viewers. In a career spanning more than two decades, the Kiwi stood in 200 ODIs as an umpire, only the second person to breach the figure at the time of his retirement in 2016.

Rudi Koertzen (South Africa) – 209 matches

The demise of the South African umpiring great Rudi Koertzen saw wishes pour in for the enigmatic Protean. An unerring decision maker, Koertzen started his career as an official back in 1992 and continued to don the iconic white cap and wraparound sunglasses for 18 years at the highest level. In 2007 he broke David Shepard’s record of umpiring in most ODIs and by the time he retired in 2010, he had stood in 209 matches as an umpire in 50-over cricket.

Aleem Dar (Paksitan) – 219 matches

Aleem Dar’s cricketing career was mediocre at best, and when he switched to umpiring, it looked as if he was destined for the role from the beginning. Dar was one of the youngest umpires at the time when he made his debut as an official in 2000 and soon rose to fame with his impeccable decision-making skills. Even after flourishing in the nascent stages of his umpiring career, Dar continued to play cricket, and in a famous incident, he scored 82 runs in the match just a day after officiating a Test match in Mumbai in 2004, a testament to his passion for the game. The 54-year-old has stood in 219 ODI matches and holds the record for standing in most games across formats.