Bird 'shocked and stunned' by Hair offer by AFP

---

Event:

Pakistan in British Isles 2006

---

DateLine: 26th August 2006

 

English umpiring great Dickie Bird said revelations that Darrell Hair had requested 500,000 dollars in return for standing down as a Test official had left him feeling "shocked and stunned."

 

And Bird said the news of Hair's offer, disclosed by International Cricket Council (ICC) executive Malcolm Speed at a London news conference Friday, had the capacity to turn the issue into a bigger cricket controversy than England's infamous 'Bodyline' tour of Australia in 1932-33.

 

"I am absolutely shocked and stunned to hear what is happening and it all takes some believing," Bird said.

 

"There have been controversies going back through the history of cricket and the closest would be 'Bodyline' in 1933 - but never anything like this.

 

"It is a very, very sad time for cricket and there is no doubt our great game has been badly hurt. But as in the past, I am sure it will eventually get over it."

 

Bird said Hair, who stood alongside him in the Englishman's 66th and final Test, against India at Lord's in 1996, would now find it difficult to ever umpire at the top level again even though the Australian has yet to be charged with any offence by the ICC.

 

"It was Darrell's decision to do what he did and it has undoubtedly created problems for him. The hierarchy must make the decision in due course but with that sort of money involved things are looking bad for him."

 

Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove declared that Pakistan had forfeited the fourth Test against England at The Oval on Sunday after the tourists twice refused to take the field in protest at the officials' decision, earlier in the day, to award five penalty runs to England because of alleged ball-tampering.

 

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq faces ball-tampering and disrepute charges as a result of the affair.

 

But Bird said: "It is looking like the charges are going to be dropped. It is looking in favour of Pakistan now and it is my regret that it ever came to this in the first place.

 

"Everybody should have used a little bit of common sense, tried to finish the Test match then thrashed it out behind closed doors."

 

Former England captain Michael Atherton said it was "extraordinary" that Hair had not been charged with any offence by the ICC.

 

"(ICC chief executive) Malcolm Speed's exact words were 'not sacked', 'not suspended' and 'he has not been charged'," Atherton told Sky Sports.

 

"It seems extraordinary when you consider that Inzamam-ul-Haq has been charged on two counts - one of ball-tampering, for which nobody can find any evidence, and secondly for bringing the game into disrepute on the back of the first charge.

 

"So poor old Inzy finds himself under two charges, but Darrell Hair, after these extraordinary letters (which carried the 500,000 dollars offer), finds himself under no charge whatsoever."

 

Atherton, whose own career survived the 'dirt in the pocket affair' in a Test against South Africa at Lord's in 1994 where television showed him rubbing dirt into the ball, said he thought Hair's time as a top-level umpire was over.

 

"It is hard to see how Darrell Hair can umpire at any future international match. They have made his position untenable now. To imagine he can umpire down the line in international matches is hard to see."

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)