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The 47-year-old joins one other South African on the 12-man panel, namely Adrian Holdstock.
Allahuddien Paleker talks to two Proteas batters during a recent match. Picture: Richard Huggard/Gallo Images/Getty Images
Allahuddien Paleker has become the latest South African umpire to join the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires, following in the footsteps of men such as Rudi Koertzen, Dave Orchard and Marais Erasmus, who also officiated on the elite panel.
Paleker, 47, will serve on the panel for the next 12 months. He joins 11 other umpires from around the world, including fellow South African Adrian Holdstock, on the elite panel.
Other South Africans to feature on the ICC international umpiring panel include Lubabalo Gcuma, Stephen Harris, Arno Jacobs and previously Barry Lambson and Karl Liebenberg.
Paleker said he has enjoyed the journey up to this point.
“I started umpiring in 2006 and got onto the first-class panel in 2009, so getting onto the elite panel 16 years after standing in my first first-class game is a lot of time on the feet and away from home. I’m just glad all the hard work has paid off,” Paleker said.
“When I started umpiring, I wanted to get onto this panel, and there are only 12 umpires from around the world on it, so it’s quite a prestigious moment in my career.”
After umpiring his first T20 International in 2018, his first One-Day International in 2019 and then his first Test match in 2020 it has been quite the journey for the Cape Town-born official to get to this point. Paleker singles out an event in 2024 as a significant moment for him.
“My big break came last year when I went to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA. I had a really good tournament there and that obviously put me on the map and with the elite panel it’s all about timing, so I didn’t put too much pressure on myself.
“I told myself to go out there and control what I can control and see what happens.”
Following this announcement, Paleker’s achievement has fast-tracked his progress toward his ultimate goal.
“My goal was to be involved in the 2027 ICC Men’s 50-over World Cup in South Africa and so this has happened two years earlier which I am quite happy with,” he said.
Having spent many seasons umpiring domestic cricket in South Africa, Paleker believes that those experiences have set him up to thrive on the international stage.
“International cricket is not a finishing school, and the hard yards have to be done at provincial level.
“When I started umpiring a lot of the international players used to play first-class cricket and that toughened you as a young umpire.
“I remember when I started umpiring you had the likes of Neil McKenzie, Alviro Petersen, Ashwell Prince, Justin Kemp, Robin Peterson and Vernon Philander playing.
“They were tough characters on the field, and they really tested you with their skills and put you under pressure as a youngster.”
As Paleker rose through the ranks to the international stage, he has held onto a piece of advice given to him by Holdstock.
“In 2015 I was frustrated and wasn’t advancing as quickly as I thought I should, and he told me to be patient and control what I can control, and the rest will take care of itself.
“At that time, I was a perfectionist, and nothing is perfect in umpiring. Adrian has seen a lot, so I took his advice and since adopting that everything has fallen into place,” he said.
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