Record- breaker Aleem Dar credits parents, 'role model' Steve Bucknor for success

Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar, who is just four away from breaking the world record for most ODIs officiated in, has credited his parents for his success and identified West Indies' Steve Bucknor as his professional role model.

Dar, the only Pakistani official in Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, recently equalled Bucknor's record of standing in 128 Test matches. He achieved the feat in the famous 2nd Test of the ongoing Ashes series.

He already holds the world record in T20Is (43 matches officiated), whereas he is just three shy of South African Rudi Koertzen's ODI record of 209 matches.

Still only 51, Dar, when it's all said and done, could break all umpiring world records by a wide margin.

His local club held a ceremony in his honour in Karachi on Wednesday where he said that he is happy to equal the record of his role model, Bucknor.

Dar said that his parents and brothers' prayers have played a major role in getting him where he is. He was overcome with emotions at mentioning his parents and shed a few tears.

He urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to also award central contracts to domestic umpires, just like it does to the players, adding that "the officials should be paid Rs10,000 a day."