Aleem Dar receives grand farewell from ICC Elite Panel

After officiating in his last Test match as an ICC Elite Panel umpire during the fixture between Bangladesh and Ireland in Mirpur on Friday, renowned Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar received a guard of honour.

During the last match officiated by Dar, Bangladesh won the match on the final day by seven wickets after successfully chasing down a target of 138 runs.

Dar’s exit from the elite panel after 19 years was confirmed by the ICC on March 16 in a press release.

“Dar has had a long and celebrated career as an international umpire. He made his international debut in 2000 and quickly rose through the ranks, with his sound decisions in matches earning him acclaim from the players and fans,” the ICC said.

“Dar was appointed to the ICC International Panel of Umpires in 2002 and officiated at the 2003 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in South Africa. Dar continued his rise as he was appointed as a member of the Elite Panel of ICC Umpires in 2004. He was the first Pakistani to be appointed to the Elite Panel,” it added.

Dar officiated a total of 438 international matches over the course of his illustrious career.

Lauding Dar's contributions, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said: "Aleem's contribution to international cricket and to the ICC has been truly remarkable. Consistently elite performances over such a long period saw him enjoy enormous respect across all involved in international cricket. I wish Aleem all the best for the future and I am sure his involvement in the game will continue for many years to come."

Dar also shed light on his journey as an umpire which included being voted for the ICC Umpire of the Year for three consecutive years between 2009 and 2011

"It has been a long journey, but I have enjoyed every bit of it. I have had the pleasure and honour of umpiring the world over and what I have achieved is something I did not even dream of when I started in the profession,” Dar said.

"Though I am still keen to continue as an international umpire, I felt it was now the right time, after 19 years on the road to step away from the Elite panel and provide an opportunity to someone from the International Panel. My message to umpires the world over is to work hard, maintain discipline and never stop learning,” he added.