ODI Records: Most ODI matches as an umpire

Being an umpire is probably the toughest job in cricket. Umpiring in a cricket match is a thankless job and often goes under the radar. There have been many umpires who have created an identity for themselves by either their unique way of signalling something or by being the best at what they do. In the history of ODI cricket, there have been only three umpires to have officiated in more than 200 matches. With ODI cricket struggling to find its place among T20 and Test cricket it is highly unlikely that any more umpires will officiate in more than 200 matches. In this article,  we take a look at umpires with the most ODI matches as an umpire.

Most ODI matches as an umpire

Rank	Umpire	Country	Matches	Career span
1	Aleem Dar	Pakistan	231	2000-2023
2	Rudolf Eric Koertzen	South Africa	209	1992-2010
3	Billy Bowden	New Zealand	200	1995-2016
4	Steve Bucknor	West Indies	181	1989-2009
5	Daryl Harper	Australia	174	1994-2011
	Simon Taufel			1999-2012
6	David Shepherd	England	172	1983-2005
7	Russell Tiffin	Zimbabwe	154	1992-2018
8	Ian Gould	England	140	2006-2019
9	Darrell Hair	Australia	139	1991-2008
10	Steve Davis	Australia	137	1992-2015

• Aleem Dar (Pakistan)

Aleem Dar started his life in cricket as an all-rounder. The legendary umpire used to bat in the middle-order and was capable of bowling leg-spin as well. His domestic career did not last long which meant that he ventured into the world of umpiring. Unlike his playing career, as an umpire, Dar was an instant success. He stood in his first One-Day International in the year 2000. Within two years of his debut as an umpire, he was inducted into the ICC panel of umpires. He officiated in his World Cup in 2003. Things took a turn for worse in his second World Cup where he was a part of the rain-interrupted fiasco in the finals, which meant that he was suspended and could not officiate in the inaugural T20 World Cup.

• Rudolf Eric Koertzen (South Africa)

Rudolf Eric Koertzen just like Aleem Dar was part of the 2007 World Cup final fiasco which led to his suspension from the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup. This was not the first time that Rudi Koertzen was involved in fiascos. He also stood in the infamous Centurion test between South Africa and England in 2000. But Koertzen was a far better umpire than what these controversies say about him. Just to get better at umpiring he would often sit for hours in front of the TV, studying different techniques and previous dismissals given by him. In 1999, he received a lot of praise for declining a bribe offer before the Coca-Cola Cup final between West Indies and India.

• Billy Bowden (New Zealand)

Billy Bowden is probably the most fan-favourite cricket umpire of all time. The New Zealander umpire was known for the uniqueness of his signals. He was diagnosed with arthritis in his early 20s which put an end to his career. When he became an umpire he became the talk of the town due to his showmanship. Bowden was famous for the way he signalled the dismissal of a batter. The phrase ‘crooked finger of doom’ would come every time he signalled out. He used to signal out with a crooked finger and a six with two crooked fingers. Just like Dar and Koertzen, Bowden was part of the 2007 World Cup final fiasco which led to his suspension from the T20 World Cup held later that year.