ICC 'gave in' to Asian bloc: lawyer
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
LONDON, Oct 2 (AFP): Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire, was prevented from umpiring in top-level international cricket so as to appease non-white cricketing countries, it was claimed in the Central London Employment Tribunal here Monday.
Hair is suing the International Cricket Council (ICC) for racial discrimination.
Together with fellow umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies, he took a joint decision to penalise Pakistan for ball-tampering on the fourth day of the fourth Test against England at The Oval in August last year.
So enraged were Pakistan by this decision they refused to take the field immediately after tea.
By the time they were ready to play the umpires ruled they had forfeited the match - the first and so far only time this has happened in the now 130 years of Test cricket.
Hair, 55, says since taking that decision the ICC have caved into pressure, primarily from cricket's Asian bloc, which has seen him denied the chance to continue to stand in major international matches.
Hair is suing the International Cricket Council (ICC) for racial discrimination.
Together with fellow umpire Billy Doctrove of the West Indies, he took a joint decision to penalise Pakistan for ball-tampering on the fourth day of the fourth Test against England at The Oval in August last year.
So enraged were Pakistan by this decision they refused to take the field immediately after tea.
By the time they were ready to play the umpires ruled they had forfeited the match - the first and so far only time this has happened in the now 130 years of Test cricket.
Hair, 55, says since taking that decision the ICC have caved into pressure, primarily from cricket's Asian bloc, which has seen him denied the chance to continue to stand in major international matches.