Aleem Sarwar Dar was born on June 6, 1968 in Jhang. A retired first-class cricketer, Aleem Dar is a member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel. He has won three consecutive ICC Umpire of the Year awards 2009, 2010 and 2011. Aleem Dar and Simon Taufel are the only umpires to have received the award since its inception. He has played for Allied Bank, Gujranwala Cricket Association, Lahore, and Pakistan Railways as a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler. Since his retirement as a player, he has gained prominence as one of the leading umpires in international cricket. He was educated at Islamia College, Civil Lines Lahore.
Aleem Dar 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 impressed the ICC with his accurate decision making, and was chosen to umpire at the ICC Cricket World Cup in early 2003, where he was one of the better-performing umpires. His high standard was again rewarded when he was appointed to stand in his first Test match in October 2003; the match between Bangladesh and England at Dhaka. Over the next six months he was appointed to stand in several more Test matches, and as a neutral umpire in ODI matches away from Pakistan.
In April 2004, he became the first Pakistani to be part of the “ICC Elite Umpire Panel”. On 17th October 2007 Aleem Dar umpired in his 100th ODI between India and Australia at Mumbai, making him the tenth umpire in the history of cricket to reach that landmark. He reached the landmark in a record time, taking just seven years, and became the first Pakistani to officiate in a century of One Day Internationals.
Aleem Dar has stood in numerous high profile matches, including several India-Pakistan ODI matches and five Ashes Test matches. He was also one of the on-field umpires for the final of the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, standing alongside Rudi Koertzen. However, the highlight of his career so far, has been his appointment to stand in the final of the 2007 Cricket World Cup between Australia and Sri Lanka, where he officiated with Steve Bucknor. Dar was also selected to stand in the final of the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 between Australia and England. Aleem Dar proved his accuracy yet again in 2011 Cricket World Cup when all the 15 Umpire Decision Review System appeals against him were struck down.
On August 14, 2010, the Government of Pakistan honoured him with the President’s Award for Pride of Performance.
