Pakistan's former ICC elite umpire now runs shop selling clothes and shoes

Days after Sri Lanka's World Cup winning cricketer Roshan Mahanama was spotted serving tea and buns amid severe fuel crisis, a former umpire from Pakistan, who was once part of the ICC's elite list of umpires has opened up a shop in the famous Landa Bazar in Pakistan. Asad Rauf, who officiated in 170 international matches between 2000 and 2013 and was banned, has no interest in cricket anymore and currently operates a store selling shoes and clothes.

"This isn't for me, this is the daily wages of my staff, I work for them," Rauf said in a recent interview to a Pakistani news channel, Paktv.tv. "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 was banned in 2016 by the BCCI after he was found guilty of corrupt practices and disrupting the game. He was accused of accepting gifts from bookies and his involvement in the 2013 IPL spot fixing scandal. A year ago, Rauf was also accused of sexual exploitation from a model based out of Mumbai after she claimed that she Rauf had promises to marry her but backed out.

Ten years later, Rauf has no regrets and is happy doing what he is. Running a shop though does not indicate that he is battling any sort of financial setback. However, now that Rauf has taken up the task, he wants to excel at the job in hand.

"It is my habit to reach the peak of whatever work I do. I started work as a shopkeeper, I have reached its peak. I played cricket; I reached the peak. And then when I started out as an umpire, I said to myself that I need to reach the peak here as well," added Rauf. "I have no greed. I have seen a lot of money, and I have seen the world, with protocol. One of my sons is a special child. The other one has just come back from America (US) after completing his graduation."