Former ICC elite panel Pakistan umpire Asad Rauf has officiated 170 games including 49 Tests, 98 ODIs and 23 T20Is from 2000 to 2013. However fate has other ideas in store for him as in 2022, Rauf, once considered a highly regarded umpire, is running two shops in Landa Bazar and Lahore. One among the shops sells second-hand apparel and another of crockery.
Rauf had a twist in his career and it went sideways after allegations of match-fixing were levelled against him during the infamous edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2013. Rauf was accused of accepting expensive gifts from bookies apart from placing bets.
Subsequently, he was banned by the BCCI in 2016 for five years after its disciplinary committee found him guilty of corrupt practices and bringing the game into disrepute. The incident almost finished the Pakistan umpire’s career. However, Rauf still denies the allegations against him.
Recently, Rauf was spotted by a section of Pakistani media in one of his shops.
“I have spent my best time in IPL. But allegations cropped up against me. I had nothing to do with these issues. The allegations came from the BCCI’s side and they took the decision on me themselves,” Rauf said.
Asked if he has any regrets not fighting the allegations and going back to umpiring again, Rauf said that there was nothing left to see.
“No, I don’t have any regrets. I’ve umpired in so many games all my life and there’s no one left to see now. I haven’t been in touch with the game since 2013, because once I leave something I leave it completely,” responded the 66-year-old.
“I have no greed. I have seen a lot of money and I have seen the world with dignity and protocol. Now, I read the Namaz five times a day,” he added.
In 2012, Rauf was also in the news for accusations of sexual exploitation from a Mumbai based model. The model claimed that she had an affair with Rauf that was prolonged because of the latter’s promise of getting married on which he later backed out.