Rawalpindi: Pakistan’s Aleem Dar set the new world record of most ODI matches as an on-field umpire by standing in his 210th match.

He achieved the milestone in the ongoing second ODI between Pakistan and Zimbabwe at Pindi Cricket Stadium. He surpassed South Africa’s Rudi Koertzen, who officiated in 209 ODIs.

The 52-year-old also holds the record for officiating in most international matches (387. He also broke the record last year in Test cricket when he officiated in his 129th Test and surpassed Jamaican Steve Bucknor’s mark of 128. In T20I cricket, he is second to compatriot Ahsan Raza (46).

A special ceremony was organized before the start of the second ODI where Aleem thanked his family, friends and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Yesterday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released a statement in which Aleem said: “It is a matter of great honour for me to be on the top of the list of both Tests and ODIs for umpires.”

“When I had started out in the profession, I had never imagined I would get this far. I can only say that I have enjoyed every moment on the field and learning has been an ongoing process all this while,” he added.

It must be noted that Aleem Dar made his debut as an umpire in February 2000, in an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Gujranwala, his hometown.

Read: Aleem Dar sets record, officiates most Test matches in world



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