Former International Cricket Council umpire Asad Rauf died of a heart attack in Lahore on Wednesday evening, his family confirmed.
Rauf, 66, who hung up his hat nearly a decade ago, ran a shop in Lahore.
On Wednesday evening he was going home after closing his shop when suddenly he complained of sharp pain in his chest. A heart attack ensued which proved fatal.
His death was confirmed by his brother Tahir.
The umpire’s family says the details of the funeral will be announced later.
Top umpire
A cricketer turned official, Rauf was among the world’s top umpires along with Pakistan’s Aleem Dar.
Although his playing career never took off beyond the domestic circuit, that didn’t stop him from moving around the game. In 1998 he shed the pads and donned the umpires’ Panama hat, overseeing his first first-class match.
His keen eye, ear and deep understanding of the game and its rules saw him play his first ODI against Sri Lanka in February 2000.
By 2004, Rauf was included in the International Panel of Umpires. The following year, the ICC appointed him to umpire their first Test match – Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe.
A year later, Rauf was inducted into the ICC’s elite panel of umpires. This meant that he could officiate in major tournaments, including the ICC World T20 in September 2012.
Rauf has umpired in 49 Test matches, 98 ODIs and 23 Twenty20 International matches.
His tenure as one of the world’s top umpires ended in 2013 following an unfavorable annual performance review of his work.
After losing his place in the elite panel, Rauf decided to hang up his hat for international matches. She turned to her long-established business of selling pre-loved shoes and clothing at a thrift store.
The conflict
Rauf was selected to officiate in the then fledgling Indian Premier League (IPL).
However, he was soon accused of being part of the spot-fixing controversy, which he denied.
The allegations prompted the ICC to remove it from the panel of match officials for the 2013 Champions Trophy.
A Mumbai police investigation later found that Rauf was accused of illegal betting, fraud and cheating in a civil court.
In 2016, he was found guilty in absentia and banned for five years.
