Aleem Dar delighted after umpiring in first-ever home Test, Indian fans laud Pak veteran

Pakistan's Aleem Dar has successfully carved a niche for himself as a renowned umpire in world cricket. The 52-year-old has enjoyed a renowned career as an official in international cricket as he added yet another feather to his cap on Tuesday when he finally got an opportunity to officiate in a Test match on home soil. Dar, who first stood in an international fixture back in 2000, had not officiated a Test match in his country prior to the ongoing Pakistan vs South Africa 1st Test match. 

Pakistan vs South Africa 1st Test: The wait is finally over for Aleem Dar 

Aleem Dar, who is a part of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Elite umpire panel, is considered to be one of the most potent officials in modern-day cricket. He also has featured in the most number of Test matches (133), and ODIs (211) as an umpire and has also won ICC's Umpire of the Year award on multiple occasions. However, despite having a glorious career, he had not got a chance to feature in a Test match in Pakistan as the ICC has generally relied on using neutral umpires for the longer format. 

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However, the coronavirus pandemic has added several logistically barriers for hosting nations. This is why the cricket board has allowed the inclusion of local umpires Aleem Dar and Ahsan Raza for the ongoing series between Pakistan and South Africa. The tour is monumental in many ways, as the South Africa team also visited Pakistan after a gap of 14 years. 

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The ICC took to its Twitter account to acknowledge the development. They also shared Aleem Dar's statement in which he had mentioned waiting for about 17 years for this opportunity. The veteran will undoubtedly pleased as his 132-Test drought finally ended with him being a part of a Test match in Pakistan. Cricket fans from India also were delighted with the news and they commended the Pakistani umpire on the micro-blogging site. 

 

Pakistan vs South Africa schedule

The bilateral series between the two teams promises to be an exhilarating one considering the exciting line-ups. According to the Pakistan vs South Africa schedule, the nations will first square off in two Test matches. The red-ball clash will be followed by three T20I encounters. 

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Pakistan vs South Africa live updates

The first Test is being played at the National Stadium in Karachi. South Africa were bundled out for 220 in their first innings. The home team in their reply posted an impressive score of 378. Fawad Alam was the star for Pakistan as he smashed a crucial century against a fiery bowling attack. Former Test skipper Azhar Ali also scored a crucial half-century to steady the ship for the side after they lost both their openers early.

Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Nauman Ali, and Yasir Shah also chipped in with valuable contributions lower down the order. At the time of writing this report, South Africa have scored 37 runs on Day 3 and have not lost a single wicket. However, they still trail by 121 runs. 

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Image source: ICC Twitter