Shakoor Rana
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Shakoor Rana |
| Born |
3 April 1936 Amritsar, Punjab, British India |
| Died |
9 April 2001 (aged 65) Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Umpiring information | |
| Tests umpired | 18 (1975–1996) |
| ODIs umpired | 22 (1977–1996) |
| Career statistics | |
|
| |
| Source: Cricinfo, 9 April 2001 | |
Shakoor Rana (April 3, 1936 – April 9, 2001) was a Pakistani cricketer and umpire
Playing career
Shakoor Rana had an undistinguished playing career. He played in 11 first-class matches between 1957 and 1973, accumulating 226 runs and 12 wickets. He was overshadowed by his brothers Shafqat Rana and Azmat Rana who both represented Pakistan at Test level.
Umpiring career
Rana made his international debut as an umpire in 1974 at Lahore, the city that had become his hometown. The match was between Pakistan and the West Indies. His career continued until his last match between Pakistan and New Zealand in 1996, also at Lahore. He stood in 18 test matches and 22 One Day International.
Gatting controversy
In a test match in Faisalabad in 1987, Rana argued furiously with Mike Gatting. The argument stopped the match, and footage of the English cricket captain and the umpire shouting at each other with fingers waved in the other's face was widely broadcast.
The incident occurred on the second day of the test after Gatting was considered by Rana to have made an alteration to the fielding positions as Eddie Hemmings ran in to bowl - Rana stopped the game and accused Gatting of cheating. Rana had already upset the English by wearing a Pakistan sweater and placing Mudassar Nazar's cap on his own head. The game was stopped by the incident and only resumed the following day. Rana and Gatting were both accused of using foul language, much of which was heard by a worldwide TV audience via the stump camera.[1] Shakoor refused to stand again in that Test until he received an unconditional apology from Gatting for the language used in the dispute. Gatting was threatened with being stripped of the England captaincy and was forced into issuing a written apology to Rana. Gatting has since expressed regret at his part in the row.[1]
Coney incident
Gatting was not the only international captain to have had a run-in with Rana. In December 1984 during a Test match in Karachi, New Zealand captain Jeremy Coney threatened to lead his side from the field following a controversial decision of not-out for Pakistan player Javed Miandad.[2]
Legacy
The controversy surrounding Shakoor Rana was a driver in the move towards neutral umpires at Test matches. The home side had previously supplied the umpires but the International Cricket Council have since brought in neutral officials.