KENYA: CRICKET - Sacked umpire Darell Hair instigates legal action against the Pakistan board and International Cricket Council

Australian umpire Darrell Hair said on Wednesday (February 7, 2007) that he had filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). Hair was sacked from the ICC's elite panel of umpires after Pakistan complained about his role in a ball-tampering row in the forfeited Oval test against England last August. "I can confirm that I have instructed my lawyers Finers, Stephens, Innocent, 179 (Great) Portland Street, London to issue an application in the London Central Employment Tribunal alleging racial discrimination by the the International Cricket Council and the Pakistan Cricket Board," he told a news conference in Nairobi, where he is umpiring. "I have had no response yet from the ICC," Hair said. The PCB said it rejected the allegations made against the board. "We have given a stiff response to Hair's notice as our stand is clear -- the International Cricket Council took action against him and not the PCB," Saleem Altaf, the PCB's director of cricket operations told Reuters. "Our lawyer has sent back a strong response to the notice and we don't accept his stand. He was penalised by the ICC members and not just Pakistan," he added. Pakistan refused to continue the match after Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove changed the ball and charged the Pakistanis with ball-tampering on the fourth day of the Oval test. Hair and West Indian Doctrove eventually awarded the match to England and the ICC charged Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq with bringing the game into disrepute. In September, the ICC cleared Inzamam and his team of ball tampering but banned the captain for four one-day games on the disrepute charge. Doctrove is back supervising international matches while the ICC appointed Hair to stand in at an ICC qualifying tournament in Nairobi. He was supervising the final match between Kenya and Scotland on Wednesday. "I have already said that I have been very happy to be here and I have enjoyed the time here," he said. "I have enjoyed the umpiring, so I think that what I do best and that's what I really like to do."

ITN Source | February 8, 2007

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