Aleem Dar equals Steve Bucknor’s record for umpiring most Test matches

LONDON: Umpire Aleem Dar on Thursday equalled Steve Bucknor’s record of officiating 128 Test matches when he took the field in the second Test match between England and Australia at Lords.

“It’s a great honour to equal the number of Test matches of my role model, umpire Steve Bucknor,” Dar said in a statement to ICC.

“I am thankful to Almighty God, ICC, PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board), my colleagues, my coaches, my club P&T and especially thanks to my family as without their help it was not easy to achieve this,” the 51-year-old said.

Dar stood in his first ODI in 2000, aged 31, at Gujranwala and made his Test debut in a match between Bangladesh and England in Dhaka in October 2003.

Dar has been an umpire at all the Men’s Cricket World Cup events since 2003. He is also one of only three umpires to have officiated in 200 ODIs.