"I only came to know about it by chance" - Aleem Dar says his family hid his 7-month-old daughter's death from him in 2003
Reputed umpire Aleem Dar has claimed that his family hid his seven-month-old daughter's tragic death from him in 2003. They did it to protect his concentration during the 2003 ODI World Cup, which was one of the biggest assignments of his early career.
Dar, who officiated 435 men's internationals, including four World Cup finals, said he got to know about the tragedy when a Pakistani man unwittingly offered condolences to him in Johannesburg during the tournament.
“It was the start of my career as an ICC panel umpire and it was a very important assignment for my career and they knew if I came to know about my daughter’s demise, I would return home immediately," Dar said on a Pakistani TV show, as quoted by PTI.
"I was kept in the dark for nearly a month after her passing away and I only came to know about it by chance in Johannesburg where a Pakistani man who belonged to my hometown Sialkot came to offer his condolences to me. It was a big shock to me at that time and I immediately informed the ICC and returned home,” he added.
The reputed umpire has previously spoken about how the 2003 World Cup was a turning point in his career, with the ICC trusting him for the job despite him having just 12 matches of experience. A good showing there prompted the ICC to award him with Test status and eventually an entry into the Elite Panel.
Father told the media to not print anything, says Aleem Dar
Speaking further on the tragedy, Dar added that when he called his wife, she started crying on the phone. He later found out that his family was so dedicated to his career that they even asked the media to refrain from publishing the news.
"I came to know later that my father had strictly told the media friends to not print the story,” he added in the same interaction.
Dar stepped down from the Elite Panel in March 2023 but continues to officiate international and domestic matches around the world.