Current test/tour (cricket)

[Blue Warrior]

Hair is a bit of a plonker for sure. I was watching the game at home, so I saw the whole incident or rather the build up. It is strange that no camera picked up that someone was tampering with the ball, but Hair was definately convinced that they had.

It is difficult to know what side to take on this. I think Hair was a bit hasty to call off the game when Inzaman didn't take the team out, then again, should Inzaman have left his protest until after the game?

Hair is a no-nonsense umpire and doesn't shy away from making decisions. I first noticed this when he grew tired of batsmen pretending to play shots to balls pitching outside off stump and giving them out lbw.

He did make a mistake when England toured Pakistan in the spring. He gave Inzamam run out when he had been taking evasive action from a ball thrown at him by Harmison. The distrust stems from that. In the past, he angered Sri Lanka for no-balling Muralitharan for throwing (which he has always done). To pacify Sri Lanka, the throwing rule has been changed so that these same deliveries are now legal (the arm can be bent 15 degrees now).

The umpires are thrown the ball at the end of every over. On Sunday, Kaneria had been bowling at Pietersen's backside, so no damage could've been caused by the ball hitting fences or going into the crowd since Hair last inspected it. Presumably, there was a significant deterioration in the state of the ball in that time.

I think they should've played on and that Pakistan should've been punished for their actions after the game.

[Poor_Sunyol™]

He's a racist.

[kiss007]

Just because the ball starts to reverse swing does not mean that it has been tampered with. Hair hasn't provided any evidence, and to be accused of cheating is a pretty serious allegation. This is not like the Mike Atherton saw-dust in the pocket incident.

[Poor_Sunyol™]

Just because the ball starts to reverse swing does not mean that it has been tampered with. Hair hasn't provided any evidence, and to be accused of cheating is a pretty serious allegation. This is not like the Mike Atherton saw-dust in the pocket incident.

I agree. Hasty decision by Hair.

[Lemmiwinks]

It wasn't just Hair though, they both came to the conclusion.

[BarcaGaffer]

I agree that Hair is a racist. He always involved in incidents with asian players. Sri Lanka and now Pakistan.

Hair has no flipping idea. He had no evidence and he's just trying to stir s*** up. I hope the ICC sack his fat ass and bring in proper umpires like Taufel, or Billy Bob Bowden from NZ.

[Blue Warrior]

The Indians back him. This may partly be an anti-Pakistan measure, but they were Asian too last time I looked.

There have been too many simplistic posts about this. We know that reverse swing is possible as the ball gets older. However, we also know that Afridi recently said that sometimes the only way to get wickets on a good pitch is to tamper with the ball and that he sees no problem with it. The pious Imran Khan once admitted to scratching a ball with a bottle top. Either Wasim or Waqar had a 1/4 thich thumb nail that they had built up scratching balls. Wasim used to play for my county Lancashire and we knew what was going on. One of the balls he used has been hidden in Lord's since a game with Derbyshire in 1993.

How do people know that Hair made a snap decision? There are suggestions that Duncan Fletcher had alerted the umpires to his concerns during the match.

[BarcaGaffer]

The Indians support hair because of the India-Pakistan rivalry. It's like Barca and Madrid.

And yes, Pakistan are known to tamper with the ball in the past, but doesn't mean they've done it on this occasion. Hair is an idiot for not having substantial proof before giving his decision with Doctrov. Assuming that the Paki's have tampered just because the ball is reverse-swinging is no excuse to call the game off.

These kind've things should be investigated after the match is completed. Let ICC handle it.

[Blue Warrior]

From the BBC.

Prior to the Murali mayhem in Melbourne, Hair had attracted criticism for his decision to give Craig McDermott out caught behind as Australia were denied a record-breaking win over the West Indies in Adelaide in January 1993.

He has a reputation as an umpire who is consistent in his decision-making, and has also made high-profile calls against Pakistan's opponents.

I remember the McDermott decision. The Aussies had put on a major stand for the last wicket (around 100) and he gave McDermott out, possibly off the arm. It would've been very easy to give out.

The paragraph about decisions in favour of Pakistan needs no elaboration.

Calling him racist is too easy and still no-one knows the level of proof he has. It is not for the umpire to ask Sky TV if they have captured incidents on tape or not. He has applied the laws based on the condition of the ball alone. As it should be.

[Lemmiwinks]

The Indians support hair because of the India-Pakistan rivalry. It's like Barca and Madrid.

And yes, Pakistan are known to tamper with the ball in the past, but doesn't mean they've done it on this occasion. Hair is an idiot for not having substantial proof before giving his decision with Doctrov. Assuming that the Paki's have tampered just because the ball is reverse-swinging is no excuse to call the game off.

These kind've things should be investigated after the match is completed. Let ICC handle it.

It wasn't just Hair though, they both came to the conclusion.

[BarcaGaffer]

The Indians support hair because of the India-Pakistan rivalry. It's like Barca and Madrid.

And yes, Pakistan are known to tamper with the ball in the past, but doesn't mean they've done it on this occasion. Hair is an idiot for not having substantial proof before giving his decision with Doctrov. Assuming that the Paki's have tampered just because the ball is reverse-swinging is no excuse to call the game off.

These kind've things should be investigated after the match is completed. Let ICC handle it.

It wasn't just Hair though, they both came to the conclusion.

Well.. it was Hair who first started the whole thing by brining it out into the open.

Doctrov may have come to the conclusion on his own, but who knows? Perhaps he was just being professional and supported his counterpart umpire and went along with him. Umpires look out for each other in many cases, and I doubt this was a different case.

[BarcaGaffer]

And now Hair want's USD $500,000 so he can quit being an umpire. GG. Does he think the ICC are stupid or what?

You don't see Billy Doctrov wanting to quit, even though you guys claim that he TOO was part of the decision making. I think Hair realises that he's wrong and he's being a pussy and trying to run from this whole mess he's gotten himself into.

[nanda]

And now Hair want's USD $500,000 so he can quit being an umpire. GG. Does he think the ICC are stupid or what?

You don't see Billy Doctrov wanting to quit, even though you guys claim that he TOO was part of the decision making. I think Hair realises that he's wrong and he's being a pussy and trying to run from this whole mess he's gotten himself into.

Regardless, Hair being a former lawyer, is coming up with this strategies to get the money and get out of it once in for all, he knows he won't be umpiring in future and I guess the video evidence or lack of it has to do with it. Without a concrete proof Hair was bound to face the critics, so he pulled the trigger and asked for money. In all of this, I feel sad Mr. Speed is falling for the sympathy card shown by Hair and saying how Hair has been victimised in all this and how that has made it hard for Hair to continue as an elite umpire. Hair has to go, plain and simple. Personally I think he IS a racist and that got better of him this time around like numerous times before.

[Blue Warrior]

And now Hair want's USD $500,000 so he can quit being an umpire. GG. Does he think the ICC are stupid or what?

You don't see Billy Doctrov wanting to quit, even though you guys claim that he TOO was part of the decision making. I think Hair realises that he's wrong and he's being a pussy and trying to run from this whole mess he's gotten himself into.

There had clearly been discussions with the ICC regarding this before his email that has since been made public.

We have an intolerable situation whereby Pakistan are trying to pick and choose which umpires they will allow to stand in their matches. Sri Lanka have problems with them (Murali throws - end of discussion) and Bangladesh who shouldn't even be playing cricket don't like him either.

If these 3 countries refused to have him stand in their matches, the ICC have a choice. Wrongly go with their wishes and leave Hair without much of a career, or have to punish 3 countries for not playing. Hair has a contract to be an international umpire and wants compensating should his career be taken away from him for no legitimate reason!

Billy Doctrov is hardly likely to have the race card thrown at him is he? He was part of the decision making as one umpire alone cannot make a decision about ball tampering. Claiming racism is just a cheap shot in most cases. I repeat that Pakistan have sometimes had the benefit of Daryl Hair's more controversial decisions, but they get forgotten when it suits them.

[messi_etoo]

its nice to see the one dayers will be played