April 9, 2006	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 10, 1427

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KARACHI, April 8: Asad Rauf has described his elevation to the ICC elite panel of umpires as a dream come true and another honour for Pakistan. Talking to Dawn on Saturday, Asad said that he had always aspired to get to the top even when he played first-class cricket for Lahore, Railways, National Bank, Pakistan Universities before retiring after the 1991-92 season.

“Although I was never able to reach the top in my cricket career as a batsman, I always dreamt of representing Pakistan at international level,” Asad said.

“The circumstances were such in those days that I never got a chance to play at the highest level. But I’m proud and feel very honoured to be representing my country as an international umpire instead,” he added.

Asad, who turns 50 next month, is one of the three umpires who were promoted from the international panel on Friday by the game’s governing body. West Indian Billy Doctrove and former England opening batsman Mark Benson also earned elevation to the elite panel.

Pakistan now have two umpires on the ICC’s top panel. Aleem Dar, who has officiated in 29 Tests and 68 One-day Internationals, is one of the first inductees in the existing panel when it was formed some years ago.

“It’s a great honour for Pakistan to have two umpires on the elite panel,” Asad said. “Definitely it’s going to be a big challenge for me to come up to the expectations. But I have always maintained that hard work pays dividends.”

Asad revealed that his mother has supported him all the way. “There is no doubt she is the one who has always stood by me and prayed for my success. Without her at my side, I don’t think I would have achieved so much.”

The elite panel now has 10 umpires with Steve Bucknor being the most experienced member, having so far stood in 111 Tests and 138 ODIs and Asad the least experienced with just five Tests and 18 ODIs.

Following is the full list of ICC’s elite panel umpires:

Steve Bucknor (West Indies, 111 Tests, 138 ODIs), Rudi Koertzen (South Africa, 73 Tests, 147 ODIs), Darrell Hair (Australia, 71 Tests, 120 ODIs), Daryl Harper (Australia, 58 Tests, 113 ODIs), Billy Bowden (New Zealand, 35 Tests, 87 ODIs), Simon Taufel (Australia, 34 Tests, 87 ODIs), Aleem Dar (Pakistan, 29 Tests, 68 ODIs), Mark Benson (England, 8 Tests, 24 ODIs), Billy Doctrove (West Indies, 7 Tests, 45 ODIs) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan, 5 Tests, 18 ODIs).