ICC reinstates Hair and shortens 2011 World Cup

[mujahideen]

ICC reinstates Hair and shortens 2011 World Cup

DUBAI (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) restored controversial Australian Darrell Hair as a test and one-day international umpire on Tuesday and decided to shorten the 2011 World Cup.

Cricket's governing body also said a "full independent security assessment" would be made before violence-hit Pakistan staged the Champions Trophy in September.

The Hair issue was the most significant of several decisions taken by the ICC's executive board at the end of a two-day meeting in Dubai.

Hair, 55, was sacked from the ICC's elite panel of umpires in November 2006 for his role in the Oval test in August that year when Pakistan became the first team to forfeit a test.

Pakistan refused to return to the field in protest after being penalised for alleged ball-tampering and England being awarded five extra runs.

"Darrell Hair is a good, competent umpire and his position will be reviewed after March 31, 2009 as is the case with other umpires at the end of their contracts," ICC president-elect David Morgan told reporters.

"It was a unanimous decision (to reinstate him)."

The move came after Hair underwent a rehabilitation programme devised by the ICC and umpired less important fixtures.

The ICC board also decided Pakistan would stage the Champions Trophy at three venues, provided security fears were allayed after Australia postponed this month's tour to the country following a series of bomb blasts.


IPL CONCERNS

In addition, the ICC said international tours would take precedence over the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), a franchise-based Twenty20 league due to be launched next month.

It decided national boards, concerned the IPL could take players away from international duty, will have the right to stop a player featuring in the IPL until two years after his retirement.

New Zealand and West Indies in particular were worried their players could retire early or opt to play in the IPL when dates clash with regular tours.

"In general terms it was agreed the IPL was a good concept and although the introduction of privately-owned franchises introduced risks to the game, it also provided possible benefits," the ICC said in a statement.

The ICC cleared the way for a shorter 2011 World Cup by deciding on a 14-team format, reduced from 16 after last year's edition in West Indies was criticised for being too long and unwieldy.

Cricket's ruling body also said an independent audit found serious financial irregularities in the Zimbabwe board accounts but did not call for any sanctions, saying there was no evidence of criminality and no individuals had gained financially.

A plan to trial increased use of technology was approved, allowing player referrals of on-field decisions to the TV umpire.

Subject to the consent of the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa, the trial will be conducted during the test series between those two sides in England later this year.

© Reuters 2008 All rights reserved

 

[mujahideen]

Hair restored as ICC elite umpire

Australian Darrell Hair has been recalled to the International Cricket Council's elite panel of umpires.
Hair has not officiated in a major match since the infamous Oval Test in 2006, when Pakistan refused to continue amid suggestions of ball-tampering.

The 55-year-old was subsequently dropped from the panel.

He began a racial discrimination claim against cricket's governing body but dropped the case and has since been on an ICC rehabilitation programme.

One of cricket's most controversial incidents began when Pakistan were penalised five runs and England were allowed to select a different ball in the fourth and final Test of the 2006 Test series.

Pakistan were incensed, and when they refused to return to the field after the tea interval, Hair and fellow official Billy Doctrove awarded the match to England, the first forfeit in Test cricket history.

The matter was then examined at an ICC hearing in London.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, was cleared of ball-tampering charges but was suspended for four one-day internationals after being found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

Pakistan refused to take part in matches in which Hair was officiating, claiming he was biased against teams from the sub-continent.

Hair remained contracted to the ICC but he was not chosen for international matches involving Test nations, instead taking charge of a match between Kenya and Scotland.

Having resided in England for several years, Hair was offered the chance to officiate in domestic county matches by the England and Wales Cricket Board, but declined.

Hair, who umpired the first of his 135 one-day internationals in December 1991 and the first of 76 Test matches in January 1992, will now be available to resume as an official in both forms of the game at international level.

ICC president-elect David Morgan confirmed that the decision had been a unanimous one.

"Darrell Hair is a good, competent umpire and his position will be reviewed after March 31, 2009 as is the case with other umpires at the end of their contracts," he added.

An spokesman told the BBC that there would be no restrictions on Hair's reinstatement, meaning that he could conceivably umpire a Pakistan match.

"It's a matter for the selection committee to decide what matches he umpires," he said.

Former Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shahayar Khan was far from happy with the return, however, and said: "This is shocking news.

"He should never have been reinstated after committing so many gross irregularities during the Oval Test.

"The ICC board decided beyond doubt Hair's conduct was not up to the mark. This man violated his responsibilities as a senior umpire. How the ICC can restore him is hard to comprehend."

And former skipper Inzamam lamented: "Our board should never have backed down on this issue."

BBC reporter Pat Murphy observed: "Darrell Hair will be entitled to deep satisfaction at this verdict, not least of all because his marks have always been among the top three umpires in world cricket during his time as an international umpire.

"There was never any doubt about his quality as an umpire and his decision making. It was more, in the eyes of some of the Asian countries, his attitude.

"Darrell Hair took the brunt of all that and he has been vindicated both in terms of his decision making in that Test match and also in terms of his overall competence as being an international umpire again."

BBC SPORT | Cricket | Hair restored as ICC elite umpire

 

[EagleEyes]

I think its fine as long as it doesn't effect Pakistan in anyway, besides chances are that Hair will be forced to retire after a year.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

More trouble is in the offing.

The idiot requires to be pensioned off!

 

[Plasma]

ICC said that he wont be allowed to stand in Pakistani matches. Which is better for him rather then us. If he went back to his old doings, his stay in the elite would be short lived.

 

[Tiki Tam Tam]

He should be allowed only for an all white match!

 

[EagleEyes]

He should be allowed only for an all white match!

Indeed. England, Newzeland, and Australia are the ones who got him back.

I wonder how much they pay to the umpires.

I wonder if Pakistan and India are doing the same.

 

[solid snake]

I will be very, very pissed off if they move the Champions trophy away from Pakistan.

 

[Plasma]

I will be very, very pissed off if they move the Champions trophy away from Pakistan.

If the BD series, the SL series and the Asia Cup go well in Pakistan, which they will, i see no reason why they will even think of moving it. But stupidity does sometimes overshadow common sense. So we never know..