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Pakistan cricket team’s captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has said umpire Darrell Hair is now in “big trouble” as the ball-tampering row took a new twist.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chiefs have called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to hold an inquiry into the conduct of 53-year-old Australian umpire Hair before disciplinary charges, due to be heard late next month, are considered against Inzamam.

The fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval, London, ended in bizarre fashion a week last Sunday when the tourists refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day in protest at being earlier penalised five runs for ball-tampering by Hair and the West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove.

That move led to the first forfeit in 129 years of Test cricket and an England win which gave the hosts a 3-0 series victory.

Inzamam, as captain, was subsequently charged with ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.

On Tuesday, Pakistan — who’d already told the ICC they did not want Hair to stand in any of their future matches — made their inquiry request.

“Darrell Hair is in big trouble, I don’t know why he is doing these things,” Inzamam said. “I’m quite happy for us to play the game after half an hour — and then the next day because we had launched our protest. I don’t know why he was not interested in playing,” he also told Sky Sports News.

And the gifted batsman insisted both he and his side were completely innocent of ball tampering. “I’m sure 100 percent because I have done nothing. That is why I am doing these things, because I know we are not guilty and that is why we take this stance.”

Chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan added: “We are not pressing any charges, we are simply requesting that Hair should be investigated.”

After the chaos at The Oval, Hair then sent the ICC an e-mail saying he would resign as one of their elite umpires in exchange for 500,000 dollars.

Although he later rescinded his offer, Hair was still withdrawn from what would have been his first umpiring appointment since the events of August 20.
Source:The News

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