Dubai: Local cricket in the UAE may never be the same again as Tariq Butt, the longest serving and most experienced umpire, has called it a day. Having officiated for 36 years on all kinds of wickets, including sandy pitches, cement tracks and lush green turf pitches, Butt’s career story is closely linked to UAE cricket’s struggles and rise to glory.
The jovial 65-year-old Butt had been a permanent fixture in all domestic tournaments - be it during the harsh summers or the cooler months. Butt may have continued umpiring but was forced to consider retirement after collapsing during a match at the ICC Academy on November 16 last year following a heart attack. “When I was being carried away in an ambulance to the hospital, I knew it is my last match. I have now recovered, with stents placed in my heart, but my doctor has asked me not to take the stress anymore. It’s hard to give up umpiring for which my heart beats every day, but I have to do it now.”
Butt came to Dubai in 1977 after playing first class cricket for Lahore. “I was Lahore’s middle order batsman and a fast bowler and played alongside Test stars like Arif Butt and Saeed Ahmad. When I came here, I played regularly for clubs like Punjab Cricket Club and Seashell’s Club and Rising star. On July 1979, while practising on a cement track, which which had rain water, I slipped and broke my ankle - forcing me to give up the game.
“I did not want to leave cricket, so on January 16, 1980 I made my debut as an umpire in the Bukhatir League. I fell in love with umpiring and, though I lived in Dubai, I used to ride to different venues on my motorcycle. Those days, the hub of cricket activities in Sharjah used to be the present Al Wahda street area and was called the Rope factory ground. I used to go to Abdul Rehman Bukhatir’s own ground known as Air India ground, the present Sharjah Stadium ground and Al Shaab football ground where cricket used to be played. I used to officiate in Dubai Dulsco ground, which was located in Al Ghusais near where the Emirates Driving institute is located now.”
Butt took up jobs that would leave him time for umpiring. “I first worked as a tele clerk for Kunhi and Nagels and then for Galadhari’s Al Qureshi store as assistant store keeper and then joined the Dubai Health and Medical Services as Quarantine Officer. I served them for 35 years till I retired in 2013 and the bosses there gave me enough time for umpiring and I officiated for every council match be it in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Sharjah, Dubai, Ajman, Al Ain, Umm Al Quwain and even Ras Al Khaimah.”
Butt was already UAE’s most experienced umpire when he attended South African umpire Brian Bason’s 1996 umpiring classes. “I topped the umpiring examination Bason conducted on behalf of Dubai Cricket Council. I went on to umpire international matches like UAE versus Kenya and World XI versus UAE matches.”
Butt turned emotional as he recalled his association with some of the local umpires who are no more. “It was tough when umpires like Farid Malek, Prem Mishra, Rashid Butt and Ahesen Khalid passed away. I officiated with Mishra in his first and his last match. Umpires like Israr Ahmad and Hassan Javed are bed-ridden. I carry with me memories of officiating with them,” said Butt, who fought for the rights of umpires as president of the umpires’ association with Malek as vice-president and Mishra as treasurer.
“I became unpopular among councils from then on but we managed to improve the payment structure. Earlier, it used to be Dh75 for a full day of umpiring. Dulsco’s Mustafa Noorani increased it to Dh100 a day. Now at least we get Dh100 for a match. After I fought for the rights and won enemies, I felt like quitting umpiring but I carried on because of Freddy Sidhwa, a passionate lover of the game and captain of Seven Seas who convinced me not to give up.”
Butt accepts that umpiring is a thankless job. “I once broke my three fingers in trying to evade a powerful straight drive, but no one bothered to offer any help. Despite being now carried off the field to hospital, no council members have bothered to visit me or enquire about my health except for a get-well message from Ameen Farooq, secretary of Dubai Cricket Council. When I took up umpiring, I knew it will be a thankless job but my biggest joy is the respect and love cricketers have for me. Probably, I must be the umpire who has served the longest in the world.”
Butt has officiated in India, Malaysia, Singapore, Morocco and Muscat in Asian Cricket Council matches. His advice to budding umpires is: “Never assess whether you are a good or bad umpire. Focus 100 per cent on the rules and interpret it using your common sense.”
