Do you know Asad Rauf had a substantial playing career before becoming umpire

The cricketing fraternity was rocked earlier today (September 15) by the untimely demise of former ICC elite panel umpire Asad Rauf. Hailing from Pakistan, he was one of the most prominent umpires in the world, officiating in 64 Tests (49 as on-field umpire and 15 as TV umpire), 139 ODIs, and 28 T20Is. Rauf, 66, succumbed to a cardiac arrest in Lahore.

The man from Lahore began his umpiring journey in 1998, officiating in his maiden First-Class match. Two years later, he was appointed to officiate in his first ODI match between Pakistan and Sri Lanka at Gujranwala, Pakistan. The ICC appointed him to his first Test assignment in 2005 and a year later he was promoted to the  Elite Panel of ICC Umpires following his exceptional umpiring stint at the international level.

Asad Rauf was a solid cricketer before becoming umpire

Renowned for his brilliance as an umpire, Rauf had a fruitful career as a cricketer in the domestic circuit before taking up umpiring. His domestic career spanned more than a decade, and he played in Pakistani domestic cricket between 1977 and 1991, representing Pakistan Universities, Lahore, the National Bank of Pakistan, and Pakistan Railways.

Rauf amassed 3423 runs in his 71 appearances in First Class cricket along with three centuries and 22 half centuries to his name. He wasn't the most spectacular batter by any stretch of the imagination but was one of the more dependable batters on the side. He enjoyed his most prolific season in 1986-87 when he amassed 672 runs at 35.36 with five half-centuries and one hundred.

Meanhile, Rauf's umpiring career went into a downward spiral after he was dropped from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in 2013. He resigned immediately from his umpiring duties following the 2013 IPL spot-fixing controversy. His reputation was further tarnished when the BCCI banned Asad Rauf for five years on charges of corruption and misconduct in 2016.

Earlier this year, Rauf had started a second-hand garments shop in Lahore's Landa Bazaar in Pakistan after his retirement from cricket.