Aleem Dar wins 2010 ICC umpire of the year award

Aleem Dar has won ICC umpire of the year award of 2010 for the second time in a row. His has also beaten five times winner Simon Taufel second time consecutively, after 2009. The other nominees in the category were Steve Davis, Tony Hill and five-time winner Simon Taufel. This award is named as David Shephered Trophy and it was the 7th time that this award ceremony was held. Simon Taufel has won it during first five years consecutively and now it seems that Aleem Dar is going to get it for the next couple of years as well. Previously he was nominated for this award in 2005 and 2006 but was beaten both times by Australian umpire Simon Taufel.

Dar was voted by the captains of the ten full members of the ICC and the eight-man elite panel of ICC's match referees for the period August 24, 2009 to August 10, 2010. Their choice was based on his decision statistics and officiating skills over the past 12 months.

After collecting his trophy from match referee Chris Broad, Dar said:

“I think the fact that I'm still playing cricket in Pakistan makes me a good umpire. In the last four times I've played cricket I've scored centuries so I definitely think that has helped. I’m honored to have been named the winner for the second year in row.”

PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt has congratulated ICC elite panel umpire Aleem Dar on being named as ICC Umpire of the Year 2010.

“It is a great honor for the country that Aleem Dar has once again won the prestigious Umpire of the Year award for his honest and consistent performance over the last year. This is the second year running that Aleem Dar has been declared the best umpire in Cricket and it shows his hard work and dedication towards his job,” a PCB media release quoted Ijaz Butt. “Aleem Dar’s award has made all Pakistanis proud and we remain confident that he will continue to excel in his field On behalf of PCB I wish to congratulate him on being awarded this prestigious honor” Ijaz Butt added.

History

He made his international umpiring debut in an ODI between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Gujranwala on February 16, 2000. In 2002 he became a member of ICC's International Panel of umpires. He was chosen to umpire at the ICC Cricket World Cup in early 2003. He was appointed to stand in his first Test match between Bangladesh and England at Dhaka, in October 2003. In April 2004, he became the first Pakistani to be part of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel. Aleem Dar also holds a record of umpiring 100 ODI’s in record time of just seven years, he umpired his 100th ODI on 17 Oct. 2007 and became 10th umpire to pass that number and first Pakistani to achieve this landmark. He was one of the on-field umpires for the final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, and this was not just one time when he was selected to umpire such a high profile match, later he was chosen to stand in the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup between Australia and Sri Lanka and was also selected to stand in the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 between Australia and England.