Former cricket umpire Asad Rauf dies aged 66

Cricket Council (ICC) elite panel umpire from Pakistan, Asad Rauf died following a cardiac arrest in Lahore. Rauf was 66. Rauf officiated in 64 Tests -- 49 as an on-field umpire, 15 as the third umpire; 139 ODIs (98 on-field, 41 as third umpire); and 28 T20Is (23 on-field, 5 as third umpire). He was one of the finest umpires of his time and became part of the ICC elite panel in 2006, a year after officiating his first Test. Along with Aleem Dar, he contributed to enhancing the standing of Pakistani umpires prior to the neutral-umpire era.

Rauf played for National Bank and Railways during his lengthy first-class career as a middle-order batter, averaging 28.76 from 71 first-class games. Pakistani wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal took to Twitter to convey his condolences. "Sad to know about the news of former ICC umpire Asad Rauf's demise," he wrote on his Twitter handle.

Rauf's career was ruined by charges of spot-fixing and match-fixing in cricket matches, and in February 2016 he received a five-year suspension after being found guilty of corruption.