Shakoor Rana
Shakoor Rana (Urdu: شکُور رانا , 3 April 1936 – 9 April 2001) was a Pakistani cricketer and umpire. He stood in 18 Test matches, including one in 1987, where he was involved in a public row with England captain, Mike Gatting, that led to the match being disrupted.
| 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 | |
He was a brother of Pakistani cricketers Azmat Rana and Shafqat Rana, his sons Mansoor Rana and Maqsood Rana also played for Pakistan.[1]
Playing career
Shakoor Rana had a modest 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 Internationals.
Controversy
In a Test match in Faisalabad in 1987, Rana and Mike Gatting argued after Rana decided Gatting had made an alteration to the fielding positions as Eddie Hemmings ran in to bowl.
The argument stopped the match, and footage of the English cricket captain and the umpire shouting at each other with fingers pointed in each other's faces was widely broadcast. Rana accused Gatting of cheating and both were accused of using foul language, much of which was heard by a worldwide TV audience via the stump microphone.[2] 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 issued a written apology and has since expressed regret at his part in the row.[2]
References
- Khan, Khalid H. (2 June 2015). "Former Pakistan cricketer Azmat Rana passes away". DAWN.COM.
- BBC SPORT | ENGLAND ON TOUR | Gatt regrets Rana row