Inzamam cleared of ball tampering

[Skeptic786]

Inzamam cleared of ball tampering

Cricinfo staff

September 28, 2006

Inzamam-ul-Haq has been cleared of charges of ball tampering after an ICC Code of Conduct hearing at The Oval, but has been found guilty of the charge of bringing the game into disrepute and banned for four ODIs. He said that he would not appeal against the ban.

"I have considered their evidence honestly and fairly given very carefully," the spokesman said, reading out the findings of Ranjan Madugalle, the senior ICC referee. "My duty is to call and give my own judgment. On the second charge - bringing the game into disrepute by refusing to play - I find Mr Ul-Haq guilty in that on two occasions he led a protest against the umpires by failing to come on to the field of play at the relevant time. I take the view, subject of course to any further submissions Mr Gay [Inzamam's lawyer] may wish to make, this is a Level 3 charge - a ban of two or four Test matches and/or between four and eight one-day international matches.

"As to the appropriate penalty for the offence of bringing the game into disrepute, I am satisfied that this is a Level 3 matter. Mr Ul-Haq has been found guilty of deliberately refusing to come onto this pitch on two occasions, as a protest against the umpires, so interrupting play. I take into account Mr Ul-Haq's expression of regret and apology and I take into account all the other surrounding and mitigating circumstances. I decide that Mr Ul-Haq should be banned for four one-day matches with immediate effect. Mr Ul-Haq you have the right of appeal on given written notice to the ICC legal counsel within 24 hours as Mr Gay will no doubt advise you."

Inzamam himself told Pakistan TV: "The whole nation has supported our decision. This was a matter of respect for our team and country. We fought for what we thought was right. Team's reputation in the past hasn't been great and so this was important. It was important to register our protest becuase if we didn't then it wouldn't have gotten this far even and now it has been proved we are not guilty of ball tampering. This is a victory for Pakistan.

"I had an idea that I would face some sort of ban. This is the most lenient ban and I will not appeal against it."

"We are very satisfied," Shahriyar Khan, the PCB chairman, said as he left the ground. "We feel the whole process is very fair."

Abbas Zaidi, the PCB's director operations, told Cricinfo: "We have just been told that Inzamam and the Pakistan team have been acquitted of the ball tampering charges. This is excellent news for us as it vindicates our stance all along that we weren't guilty of ball tampering."

Inzamam has 24 hours to decide whether he wants to appeal. If he does not, the ban will rule him out of Pakistan's opening matches in the Champions Trophy in India.

© Cricinfo

http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/engvpak/content/current/story/260775.html

 

[Skeptic786]

INZAMAM 'VERY LUCKY' - WILLIS

Inzamam-ul-Haq escaped with a "weak punishment" at Thursday's International Cricket Council disciplinary hearing, according to former England captain Bob Willis.

The Pakistan skipper was cleared of ball tampering but found guilty of bringing cricket into disrepute, earning a ban for four one-day international matches.

But Willis believes Inzamam's previous behaviour should have resulted in a stiffer sanction.

"I think Inzamam is a very lucky lad indeed," Willis told Sky Sports News.

"Considering his previous record of appearances before the beak, he is very lucky indeed. I think it is a fairly weak punishment."

However, Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shahryar Khan said: "We are very satisfied with the outcome."

An ICC spokesman announced the result of Inzamam's hearing at The Oval on Thursday afternoon, which arose from events at the same venue when the fourth Test against England was abandoned last month.

The 36-year-old was found to have brought his sport into disrepute when he led a sit-in protest at the ground after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised Pakistan five runs for alleged ball-tampering.

With Inzamam cleared of ball-tampering, former Test umpire Dickie Bird criticised the match officials for making that decision without any cast-iron evidence.

"You've got to really see them scuff the cricket ball," Bird said.

"You've got to see it before you start accusing them - otherwise you're walking on thin ice.

"The pitch was very, very dry and the ball was pitching into the dry pitch.

"That can scuff a cricket ball up, and also the advertising boards all around the ground."

Both Willis and Bird believe Hair now faces an uncertain future.

"It is a difficult position for Darrell Hair," said Willis.

"This slightly undermines him, and I don't think life is going to be very easy for him in future."

Bird added: "What went against him badly is when he asked for half a million (US dollars to retire).

"That's a lot of money to ask for and I don't think that helped his cause at all.

"Looking back, I think Darrell will realise he's made a mistake there, a big, big, massive mistake."

Bird hopes the primacy of the on-field officials will not be undermined by today's decision.

"The umpire's decision has always been final and I hope it always will be final," he added.

"But it is a very ticklish situation regarding the law.

"I think they'll change the law - whatever they do is going to be a difficult one. Lots of suggestions of 'let them do whatever they want with the ball'.

"That would be going too far.

"You could use anything on a cricket ball. You could use a bottle top, a razor blade or anything.

"They've got to think about something to put all this controversy out."

One of Test cricket's most respected umpires in his day, Bird is adamant cricket will recover from the scandal.

"Cricket has been damaged but cricket as I know it will rise again," he said.

 

[Lahori paa jee]

Congrats to everyone as Pakistans name has been cleared of the tampering issue.

 

[Spring Onion]

Yes but ICC also shown biase by suspending inzi for four gams although the disruption of the game was not the part of the issue or enquiry.

 

[Lahori paa jee]

Inzi was indeed guilty of bringing the game to disrepute but we must keep into consideration that this reaction followed an action which was totally stupid.

If anyone was guilty of bringing the game into disrepute thats Darrel Hair. Changing the ball was one thing but awarding England 5 penalty runs and then asking the batsmen to choose a ball was unacceptable.

 

[Neo]

The good thing here is that our future cricket matches will be 'Hair'-less, i.e. without this racisit!

Thats a moral victory for us and a total victory for the game.

Both India and Pakistan have called for full boycot of Mr. Hair. :thumbsup:

 

[Lahori paa jee]

The good thing here is that our future cricket matches will be 'Hair'-less, i.e. without this racisit!

Thats a moral victory for us and a total victory for the game.

Both India and Pakistan have called for full boycot of Mr. Hair. :thumbsup:

I think the credit goes to Srilankan and Indian cricket boards for taking a stand in favour of PCB and our team.

BCCI has also rejected the claim by ICC and Darrel Hair that Hair wont officiate Champions Trophy because of security reasons.

I was just thinking of the statements by John Haward (Australian PM), Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor, etc who called Hair a brave man and claimed that his decision was fair. This is not bravey this is madness.

 

[Neo]

Pakistan considering action against Hair

by Julian Guyer Thu Sep 28


LONDON (AFP) - Pakistan Cricket Board chairman (PCB) Shaharyar Khan said it stood by its request for an inquiry into the conduct of umpire Darrell Hair during last month's 'forfeit' Test at The Oval, saying it was possible a disrepute charge against the Australian could yet be levelled.

His comments came after Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was cleared Thursday of ball-tampering but banned for four one-day internationals for bringing cricket into disrepute.

Pakistan twice refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day, a stance that saw star batsman Inzamam banned after a two-day International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing at The Oval concluded Thursday.

They did so in protest at the decision of umpires Hair and West Indies' Billy Doctrove to penalize them five runs for ball-tampering earlier in the day.

Their stand saw Pakistan forfeit the match - the first time this had happened in 129 years of Test cricket - and England were awarded a win which gave them the series 3-0.

Soon afterwards Shaharyar called for an inquiry and on Thursday he told reporters at The Oval: "What we have done is to already ask the ICC (before the hearing) to investigate Mr Hair's conduct in the match for bringing the game into disrepute.

"It is for the ICC to say whether or not this is to be investigated and what the outcome will be. We asked the ICC before the hearing and they replied to us saying they would not do it now, implying that would have to wait for hearing, so our request is already well. So for me to say we would not press further is not correct."

Khan, who indicated that on the basis of the summary judgment they'd received Thurdsay the PCB would not be appealing against Inzamam's ban, reiterated his country's strong objections to Hair, saying they had a problem with the Australian's "attitudes".

" I can tell you that we have already informed the ICC before this hearing that we wouldn't like to have Darrell Hair umpire out matches," said Khan. "Not only for the Champions Trophy but also until his contract runs out (in 2008).

"Let me say, we have never raised any objection to any elite or international umpire. We have a problem (with Hair), I'm not saying we will have to live with it forever, but we've asked the ICC to please be sensitive with their appointments.

"All I can say is that we objected to him, not just recently, but over a long period of time."

Khan made a comparison between the present situation and what happened to Hair after he no-balled Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in 1995.

"Our demand was that he should not umpire our matches. We can't speak for other countries. When Sri Lanka had a problem with Hair in 1995 he wasn't posted to Sri Lanka for eight years.

"The ICC maintains, as it did then, that no country has the power to say umpire X will stand and umpire Y won't. This is not for us to say where umpires stand, and we respect that.

"But I think when you have a consistent problem with an umpire the ICC must look at it.

"I think the ICC was right with Hair and Sri Lanka, but with us when we conveyed this view through umpires reports we then had Hair four times in succession. We feel very aggrieved at that.

"Here we are. We have a problem with an umpire from his attitudes - not technically - but why post him. In four consecutive series in one year Mr Hair was standing in our matches.

"It was a time bomb waiting to go off and it did go off."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060928/sp_wl_afp/cricketpakiccaus_060928185538

 

[Skeptic786]

Did anyone see Hair press conference right after the decision was announced?......he showed the face of deginerate racist scumbag that was put in his place.......all kudos go to the brave srilankan...ranjan madugalay.

 

[KashifAsrar]

Why 4 match ban? When it is proved that hair was at a fault, then any protest by Inzamam over his misbehaviour was right. this is total bias and quite rediculous on the part of ICC.
Kashif

 

[Skeptic786]

Why 4 match ban? When it is proved that hair was at a fault, then any protest by Inzamam over his misbehaviour was right. this is total bias and quite rediculous on the part of ICC.
Kashif

Bro,

hair was not proved at fault as such.....Pakistan were found not guilty....it was Pakistan that was on trial not hair.
I agree with you there shouldnot have been any ban on inziman...that would have been the best course of action.....but ICC played it cautious and took the middle road.