Bipin Dani
On Monday, Jamalodien Palekar reached The Wan-derers Stadium, Johannesburg much before the first day’s play of the ongoing second Test match began.
This is because he didn’t want to miss his 1978 New Year-born son Allahudien Paleker making his debut as an international umpire. Owing to the pan-demic, the ICC policy allows home umpires to offi-ciate.
Interestingly, Allahudien Parker’s 70-year-old father is also an umpire. Not only that, the debu-tant’s uncle and two cousins are also in the umpiring business.
Speaking exclusively over the telephone from the President’s Box, the 70-year-old senior Palekar said, “it is for me an honor to see my son standing his first international Test. I am very proud of him as you know that I was never given the opportunity to further my umpiring career but be as it may I gave all my expertise to fulfill his dream”.
“I am still umpiring and it will be my 33rd year as an umpire and I am helping the young umpires to fulfill their goals”.
“I am also proud of my brother (Hassan) and my two nephews Abdul Karriem and Mohamed Issack, who all are in this umpiring career. We are a family that has been involved with cricket for a long time and played cricket also.
“I have family in India and Dubai that are also playing cricket. This game of cricket runs in the blood of our family”, he signed off.
