Player: | DB Hair, Inzamam-ul-Haq |
DateLine: 25th January 2007
The International Cricket Council will consider whether to extend the role of match referees following the furore that surrounded umpire Darrell Hair's actions in last year's Test between England and Pakistan. The ICC said Wednesday that this week's meeting in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, would consider whether the referee should be responsible for making decisions on the termination of a match. The body's executive board recommended looking at the match referee's role at its meeting in Mumbai in November, when Hair was banned from officiating at matches after his actions resulted in the first forfeit in Test cricket's 129-year history.
 
Hair accused Pakistan of ball tampering during the fourth test at the Oval in August. Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq protested his team being penalized five runs by refusing to come on the field immediately after the tea break, despite being called by Hair who then awarded the match to England. Any extension of the match referee's powers would avoid a repeat of the incident and give the decision on forfeiture to an official removed from sometimes heated exchanges between and with teams. "It is often perceived that the referee is an official of a type used in many other sports," ICC general manager David Richardson said. "The reality is that the match referee is the chief executive of an international cricket match who is responsible for liaising with the teams, the boards, the venue and other stakeholders to ensure the smooth running of a match. It is therefore suggested that, while the on-field role of the umpires shall not be undermined, the match referee should have the final say on the termination of a match."LATEST SCORES
CURRENT EVENTS
- Asian Cricket Council Premier Cup 2024
- Botswana Cricket Association Kalahari Women's T20 International Tournament 2023/24
- Estonia Women in Gibraltar 2024
- ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League Two 2023/24 to 2027
- ICC Women's T20 World Cup Qualifier 2024
- Ireland Women and Thailand Women in United Arab Emirates 2024
- Mongolia Women in Indonesia 2024
- New Zealand in Pakistan 2023/24
- Pakistan in Ireland 2024
- Pakistan Women in England 2024
- United Arab Emirates Women's Twenty20 Quadrangular Series 2024
- West Indies Women in Pakistan 2023/24
- Zimbabwe in Bangladesh 2024
View all Current Events CLICK HERE