Former Pakistani umpire AsadRauf, who was a part of the ICC Elite Panel from 2006 to 2013, died after
suffering a cardiac arrest in Lahore. He was 66. "Saddened to hear about the passing of Asad Rauf. Not only was he a good umpire but also had a wicked sense
of humour. He always put a smile on my face and will continue to do so whenever
I think about him.
Many sympathies with his family for their loss,"
Pakistan Cricket Board chief Ramiz Raja tweeted. Rauf's brother Tahir put forth
the development about the legendary umpire. Tahir said that the veteran was
returning home after closing his clothing shop at Landa Bazaar in Lahore when
he felt some sort of discomfort in his chest. The Punjab-born Rauf was taken to
the hospital on an immediate basis, but he couldn't be revived.
His career as an umpire really
started in 1998 when he made his first-class debut, and in 2000 he stood in his
first ODI. He was elevated to the ODI panel in 2004 and officiated in his first
Test the following year. Rauf umpired his first ODI in 2000 and his first Test
in 2005. In 2006, he was named in ICC's Elite Panel, which he was a part of
until 2013.
He was a popular figure on the
circuit who, alongside Aleem Dar, improving the reputation of Pakistani umpires
before the neutral umpires era. But his career came to an abrupt halt in 2013
when he was named as a "wanted accused" by Mumbai police in their
investigation into the IPL spot-fixing scandal, where Rauf had been umpiring. Asad
Rauf left India before the end of that IPL season and but was withdrawn from
the Champions Trophy that followed by the ICC and later that year would be dropped
from the ICC's elite panel, though the ICC insisted it wasn't because his name
had come up in the investigations.
Rauf protested his innocence throughout and
said he would be happy to cooperate with the ACSU. In 2016, the BCCI banned
Rauf for five years on four charges of corruption and misconduct.
Asad Rauf officiated 64 Tests, 139 ODIs, 28
T20Is and 11 women's T20Is as either umpire or TV umpire. He also officiated in
40 First Class matches, 26 List A matches and 89 T20s overall, including IPL
matches. Asad Rauf was a right-hand batsman who enjoyed a solid but unglamorous
career in the 1980s, which he has best season in 1986-87 when he made 672 runs
at 35.36, including one hundred and five fifties.
But he lost form the
following season and played little first-class cricket thereafter. As a middle-order batsman, Asad Rauf played 71
First Class matches, scoring 3423 runs at an average of 28.76 including three
hundred and 22 fifties and 29 catches. He played 40 List A matches, scoring 611
runs at 19.70 including 4 fifites and 16 catches.
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