Picture Credit: Twitter
Time flies! Indeed, the two-word phrase is one of the most impactful saying and holds deep meaning to it. Former Pakistan umpire and once part of ICC's elite list of umpires, Asad Rauf reportedly runs a shop in Lahore's Landa Bazar. One of the popular and most sought-after names of his time as far as cricketing umpiring was concerned Rauf was regarded amongst the best umpires to take the job of umpiring and fulfilling it with utmost sincerity.
But Asad Rauf's life took a sharp u-turn as he was found guilty of match-fixing during the 2013 IPL. Following a thorough investigation into the matter, BCCI banned Rauf in 2016 for five years after he was found guilty of not serving his duties with sincerity and indulging in corrupt practices.
The investigation revealed that Asad Rauf was taking expensive gifts from bookies and was placing bets on IPL matches in 2013. However, fresh reports related to the former Pakistan umpire revealed that he runs shops in Lahore's Landa Bazar. Reportedly, in one of the shop, he sells second-hand clothing items and footwear, while in the other, he sells crockery.
In his recent interview to Pakistani news channel, Asad Rauf revealed that he does not follow cricket anymore as he has no interest left in the sport. "I’ve umpired in so many games all my life, 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,” Rauf said.
Even, former Indian batter Virender Sehwag revealed that he himself bribed Asad Rauf once as he gifted him expensive watches to influence his decision. Sehwag said after taking gifts from him, the umpire refused to give him out despite the ball taking a clear edge off his bat, leaving the Australian side in utter shock.
Notably, Asad Rauf umpired in 170 international games from 2000 to 2013, which included 49 Tests, 98 ODIs and 23 T20Is.