Karachi. Everyone is aware of the umpiring of Aleem Daal, one of the famous names in Pakistan cricket. Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar, who has umpired in the most number of international matches, has shared the saddest moment of his life. In 2003, during the initial phase of his international career, his wife and family members hid the news of the death of his 7-month-old daughter from him.
56-year-old 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. 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. They knew that if I came to know about my daughter’s death, I would immediately return home.”
The 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. He was deeply saddened. Dar said, “After her death, I was kept in the dark for almost a month. 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.”
Dar said that as soon as he came to know about his daughter, he called his wife and she started crying on the phone. He said, “I later came to know that my father had strictly told the media friends not to publish this news.” Dar umpired 145 Tests, 231 ODIs and 72 T20 Internationals in his career between 2000 and 2023.
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 14, 2024, 15:47 IST
