Asad Rauf, a former Pakistani umpire, passed away at age 66 after a heart arrest in Lahore. In 2000, Rauf made his debut as an umpire in an international cricket match. (Also in Cricket)
He was one of Pakistan’s top umpires in the middle of the 2000s and officiated in 64 Tests (49 as on-field umpire and 15 as TV umpire), 139 ODIs, and 28 T20Is. Rauf reportedly experienced a heart arrest on Wednesday night not long after arriving home from his shop in Lahore.
“I was saddened to learn of Asad Rauf’s demise. In addition to being an excellent umpire, he also had a wicked sense of humour. He always made me smile, and he will always make me smile whenever I think of him. Ramiz Raja, head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), tweeted, “Many condolences to his family for their loss.
Before switching to umpiring, Rauf played 71 first-class matches for National Bank and Railways. He was assigned to the ICC elite panel in April 2006. He rose to prominence in Pakistan alongside fellow umpire Aleem Dar.
But in 2013, his career was abruptly over when the Mumbai Police listed him as one of the suspects in the IPL spot-fixing scam, where he had been an umpire. He left India in the middle of that IPL season, withdrew from the Champions Trophy, and lost his spot on the ICC’s select panel.
He received a five-year suspension from the BCCI in 2016 on four counts of corruption and misconduct.
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