The Hindu : Sport : Hair unlikely to umpire games involving Pakistan: Richardson

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Hair unlikely to umpire games involving Pakistan: Richardson

Inzamam terribly shocked at the news; CA welcomes decision

Hair ready to umpire in Pakistan
CA feels he is an excellent umpire

London: The International Cricket Council (ICC) is considering not appointing the just reinstated umpire Darrell Hair for the matches involving Pakistan, said a top ICC official.

ICC General Manager Dave Richardson said matches involving Pakistan would not be on Hair’s immediate agenda.

“We would have to take a sensible approach. We will probably keep him away from Pakistan matches where we can,” Richardson told BBC Radio on Wednesday.

“We don’t want to put umpires in an almost impossible position where any mistake they might make would be under such scrutiny that the pressure becomes impossible,” he said.

But Richardson indicated that the Australian would not be barred from officiating in all matches involving Asian teams.

“It’s pointless having an umpire on the elite panel who is excluded from umpiring certain teams.

“There are always going to be stages in an umpire’s career when he is not flavour of the month, but he will come up against an Asian team at some stage,” he said.

Inzamam disgusted

In Karachi, former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said he was “disgusted” by Darrell Hair’s reinstatement, saying that players would now be afraid to stand up to officials.

Inzamam clashed with Hair in the forfeited Oval Test between Pakistan and England in August 2006, which led to the Australian umpire’s ban from standing in top level matches.

“I am terribly shocked and disgusted at the news,” said Inzamam.

“I would blame the Pakistan Cricket Board for bowing down in Hair’s case and no player will now stand against injustices at international level.

“Hair was at fault but he is reinstated like a hero,” said Inzamam.

CA happy

Cricket Australia welcomed Hair’s reinstatement as a Test umpire, saying he should be able to oversee matches in any Test nation, including Pakistan.

Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said Hair remained one of the game’s most technically proficient officials and welcomed the ICC’s decision to reinstate him to the elite umpire’s panel.

“We’re pleased to see Darrell back,” Young said.

“Cricket Australia has always had a view that he is, in a technical sense, an excellent umpire, one of the best two or three in the world.”

Hair has said he will be prepared to umpire in Pakistan if called upon to do so, although the Pakistan Cricket Board has shown no sign of altering its stance that what it regards as Hair’s error of judgement in the 2006 Test makes him unfit to officiate top level matches. — Agencies

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