“I want Pakistan to play the final,” said Dar talking before Pakistan took on India at Mohali in the World Cup Semi Final. “It’s of greater importance than me officiating the World Cup final.”
“Pakistan's superb run has overshadowed the trauma, scandals and poor performance that had plagued the team in the lead-up to the World Cup. Now the people have enormous expectations and want the team to win badly. I’m proud to be a Pakistani and I really hope they can handle the pressure and pull off a win.”
Sadly Pakistan could not qualify for the Final but we have representation in Mumbai in the form of Aleem Dar, who is officiating the Final in Mumbai along with Smon Taufel.
Aleem Sarwar Dar was born in Jhang. He has played first class cricket and was a right handed batsman and leg break bowler. It was his love for the game of Cricket that led him to take up Umpiring as a profession. Having made his umpiring debut on February 16, 200 in Gujranwala, it took Mr. Dar just two years to become a member of the ICC's International Panel of Umpires. He stood in his first test match in October 2003 and in April 2004 he became the first Pakistani to be a part of the ICC Elite Umpires Panel. Mr. Dar was nominated in 2005 and 2006 for the Umpire of the year award as well and finally won it in 2009. He won it again in 2010.
However while all the achievements mentioned are historic in their own right there are some sides of Aleem Dar the man which not many may be aware of.
Aleem Dar was awarded the National "Pride of Performance" on August 14 last year as well. It is a measure of the man that upon receiving his pride of performance award he dedicated it to the millions of flood victims in the country and launched an appeal for People to come forward and help their fellow countrymen. He made door to door stops to raise funds and used his substantial International Contacts to raise money and awareness of the flood victim's plight.
However the stature of the man does not end here. Since March 2009 Aleem Dar has been paying Rs 5,500 per month to the family of the Bus Driver who lost his life while transporting the match official's from the hotel to Gaddafi Stadium.
When he walks on the ground each day Dar looks to the heavens and says a prayer for his daughter who died eight years ago while he was umpiring at the World Cup in South Africa.He raises his hand in the air, then touches his heart and the earth in a way of saying "from the earth we came and to the earth we shall return".‘She died during the World Cup with a brain infection. Yet my wife and family did not let me know the news till it (WC) ended. They did not want it to affect my job".
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