Pakistan target Hair but ICC stand firm for now by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Event:

Pakistan in British Isles 2006

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DateLine: 24th August 2006

 

Pakistan are pressing forward with their bid to make sure that cricket authorities sideline umpire Darrell Hair for any matches in which they are involved.

 

A first bid by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid Hair from now on fell on deaf ears with the International Cricket Council on Wednesday. But PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan has resolved to pursue the matter.

 

Pakistan consider Hair responsible, over and above his umpiring colleague Billy Doctrove, for Sunday's ball-tampering judgement made against them in the fourth Test against England at The Oval.

 

As the row continues to threaten the limited-overs leg of Pakistan's tour - due to start with a Twenty20 match in Bristol on Monday - Khan made it clear the Hair issue is not going to go away.

 

“They have received a letter from me. The obvious first knee-jerk reaction is that no country can dictate who is going to be umpire,” Khan said. “But it has happened before, with the Sri Lankans when Mr Hair was out for a year. We will say that once we give our reply - probably much more than that.”