Umpire Hair Regrets Email
Controversial umpire Darrell Hair has apologised for sending an injudicious e-mail to cricket’s governing body, the International Cricket Council.
Hair, who penalised Pakistan for ‘ball-tampering’ wrote to the ICC offering to resign in return for $500,000.
“I wish to apologise for an ill-advised but entirely confidential e-mail that gave people opportunity to question my motives,” the 53-year-old said.
“I also thank people around the world for their support in huge numbers.”
The Australian admitted he was surprised by the level of support he says he has received since the controversy in the final Test on Sunday 20 August led to Pakistan refusing to take to the field and forfeiting the match against England.
“I am both stunned and gratified by those messages from people I’ve never even met,” he said.
Hair, now based in Lincoln in England, initially claimed the ICC considered his offer and had asked him to put it in writing.
But this has been dismissed by the governing body, with chief executive Malcolm Speed terming the correspondence “totally inappropriate”.
His next umpiring appointment was to have been a second XI match between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire at Chesterfield on Wednesday but it has been decided he will not now stand.
“It is inappropriate for him to do the match with what is going on,” said Chris Kelly, the umpires and match operations manager of the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Hair is due to be among the officials for the Champions Trophy tournament beginning in India in October, but the ICC is thought to be reviewing his position.
