Umpires who have officiated the most Tests

While the spectators fill in the stands to watch the batters and bowlers excel in the field, the officials perform the thankless job of supervising the gentleman’s game. Umpiring in the longest format is no gimmick, and though correct decisions are rarely applauded, a minor error in judgment attracts severe scrutiny from experts and fans alike. Here are the umpires who survived the test of time and stood in the highest number of Test matches during their career.

3) Rudi Koertzen – 108 matches

The late South African umpire Rudi Koeterzen was renowned for the slow raise of the dreaded finger to send the batters back to the pavilion. A perfectionist by trade, Koertzen first umpired a game at the age of 43 in Gqeberha, the series where TV replays were used for the first time to decide run-outs. By the time the Protean retired from the game in 2010, he had surpassed the legendary David Shepherd’s record and stood in 331 matches across formats, including 108 Tests.

2) Steve Bucknor – 128 matches

Steve Bucknor is an elite company of his own when it comes to umpiring in World Cup matches, as he stood in a record five successive World Cup finals between 1992 to 2007. He was known for his trademark nod before raising his finger and became the first umpire in history to stand in 100 Tests in 2005. In a career spanning almost two decades, Bucknor had several memorable moments, which were perhaps overshadowed by several high-profile errors in the latter stages of his career. The farce in the 2007 WC final led to his suspension, along with the infamous Sydney Test between Australia and India in 2008, where he made numerous inexplicable errors.

1) Aleem Dar – 140 matches

Unlike the other two umpires on the list, Aleem Dar started his career at just 32 years of age. The Pakistani umpire had a stint in the domestic circuit for nearly a decade without any significant contributions and decided to try his hand at officiating. Dar stood in his first ODI in 2000 but it took him nearly three more years to make his umpiring debut in red-ball cricket. His stocks rose considerably owing to his impeccable decisions in high-profile matches. Dar is one of the most revered figures in the cricketing fraternity and holds the record of standing in most Test matches, with 140 Tests under his belt to date.