Aleem Dar, a highly respected umpire who was honored with the world cricket umpire of the year award three times, has announced his plans to retire from international umpiring in 2025. He will step down after the conclusion of the Pakistan domestic season.
Aleem Dar's retirement from International umpiring
Dar, who is 56 years old, has been a prominent figure on the ICC elite panel of umpires, serving from 2003 to 2023. Currently, he remains active on the Pakistan elite panel and is one of four Pakistani umpires on the ICC international panel. This allows him to officiate in one-day internationals and Twenty20 matches.
“All great journeys must eventually come to an end, and the time has come for me to focus fully on my social and charity work,” Dar said, as quoted by Sports Star.
“My hospital project and other initiatives are very close to my heart and require my full devotion and attention,” he added.
Before embarking on his umpiring career, Dar played 17 first-class matches and 18 List A games from 1986 to 1998. He then made his debut as a first-class umpire in 1999, officiating in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's premier domestic competition.
“Umpiring has been my life for nearly 25 years and I have cherished the privilege of officiating some of the most iconic matches involving the greatest players of this generation. Throughout my career, I’ve strived to uphold the highest standards of sportsmanship, and it has been an honour to work alongside some of the finest match officials in the world,” Dar further added.
Dar stated that it was the right time to retire and provide opportunities for other promising umpires from Pakistan to emerge.
“I will remain committed to mentoring and supporting the next generation of match officials and will always be available to offer guidance to those pursuing a career in this noble profession,” he concluded.
Dar officiated in a total of 145 Test matches, 231 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), 72 Twenty20 matches (T20s), and five T20 World Cups.
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