***Official*** Pakistan in England

[Fusion]

This is why I like WWE... If this was WWE they could bring out a steel chair and have Inzamam and Hair go at it, the winner gets to decide the terms of play for the fifth day, which could be on premium TV

And they would have hotties pitchside

My money would be on Inzi. They both have...mass. But Inzi could still run circles (albiet very slow ones) around Hair.

 

[Langeveldt]

My money would be on Inzi. They both have...mass. But Inzi could still run circles (albiet very slow ones) around Hair.

Inzi would get his weight behind the chair.. I'd particularly like to see him land on Hair off a ladder, I reckon Hair would explode..

 

[Scaly piscine]

Then why not tell us that? They inform us when there is a rain delay, they in form us when there is bad light... yet they kept nice and quiet regarding the state of the match, and the actual events of the ball tampering.

They couldn't really comment on the state of the game because of the ongoing negotiations and politics involved.

 

[Slow Love™]

So I don't know if we can really conclude much as to the status of the game, seeing as the ICC and ECB have yet to decide whether play will continue tomorrow. Which leaves us with two possibilities:

a) the umpires didn't award the match to England (which would bring up the question of why they wouldn't return to the field), or
b) the umpires did award the match to England, but the ICC is prepared to override them "if necessary".

Hmm..... Very, very interesting, either way.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Hehe..there was another comment. If Pakistan had not tampered with the ball both Cook and Strauss would have been past 150 now.

There was another comment, from Boycott - ball tampering is a Grade II offence, and if an individual is found gulity, the ban is two ODIs. If no-one in particular was found guilty, and Inzy as captain and the rest of the team were facing charges, they would make one of the non-ODI players the scapegoat and get the ban over with.

 

[Xuhaib]

Inzi would get his weight behind the chair.. I'd particularly like to see him land on Hair off a ladder, I reckon Hair would explode..

That would be so awsome

 

[Fusion]

Inzi would get his weight behind the chair.. I'd particularly like to see him land on Hair off a ladder, I reckon Hair would explode..

 

[Langeveldt]

There was another comment, from Boycott - ball tampering is a Grade II offence, and if an individual is found gulity, the ban is two ODIs. If no-one in particular was found guilty, and Inzy as captain and the rest of the team were facing charges, they would make one of the non-ODI players the scapegoat and get the ban over with.

By that token, could they just say Hanif Mohammed or Ramiz Raja did it? Who isn't going to be involved in Pakistani ODI cricket for the forseeable future?

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Faisal Iqbal, Imran Farhat of those who were playing.

 

[Fusion]

There was another comment, from Boycott - ball tampering is a Grade II offence, and if an individual is found gulity, the ban is two ODIs. If no-one in particular was found guilty, and Inzy as captain and the rest of the team were facing charges, they would make one of the non-ODI players the scapegoat and get the ban over with.

If they are proven to have tempered, I would support any punishment they get. And if the punishment is only a 2 match ODI ban, then I would expect the PCB to impose a harsher sentence on their own. However, if this all came about just because of Hair's assumptions, then I want the ICC to punish him severely. At the very least, he should no longer umpire in Pakistan's games. I wish there were multiple clones of Simon Taufel. He's by leaps and bounds the best umpire in the game.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

If they are proven to have tempered, I would support any punishment they get. And if the punishment is only a 2 match ODI ban, then I would expect the PCB to impose a harsher sentence on their own. However, if this all came about just because of Hair's assumptions, then I want the ICC to punish him severely. At the very least, he should no longer umpire in Pakistan's games. I wish there were multiple clones of Simon Taufel. He's by leaps and bounds the best umpire in the game.

I quoted Boycott more for the humour value than anything else, there's no way that statement could be in any seriousness.

 

[Xuhaib]

We dont know what might happen next, but dont you guys think that if Hair had any clear evidance he would have gone on camera and and said such and such thing was done by this particular player and so i was compelled to take this decision.

 

[no1_gangsta_786]

I heard that the officials and both captains and coaches will have a meeting...does anybody know if this meeting has taken place and if so what has been decided?

 

[Fusion]

We dont know what might happen next, but dont you guys think that if Hair had any clear evidance he would have gone on camera and and said such and such thing was done by this particular player and so i was compelled to take this decision.

Is it possible Hair just didn't realize the implications of his actions? Surely he must know the Pakistan team would react strongly, specially considering the history?

 

[steds]

I heard the ICC have just named Mr Hair's replacement for the fifth day..

I heard it was this one.

 

[Xuhaib]

Just look at the seriousness of this issue.

Without any clear proof you are calling someone a cheat and that someone is a national cricket team of a respected nation and considering the popularity of cricket in Pakistan and the pride that is assosiated with its cricket team by its masses you are bound to get a strong reaction.

 

[Jono]

I heard it was this one.

Most underrated cricketer in Super International Cricket. My boy... M Gandhi. His left armers around the wicket are lethal.

 

[Neil Pickup]

I doubt it. I'm pretty sure Darrell knew exactly what he was doing, and what the possible repercussions would be.

All this will do will create bad press for cricket - it's been handled in a tremendously childish manner by both parties. I don't care what Shahryar Khan says, not taking the field on time is not a protest, it's refusal to play, and by law 21.3 that's a forfeit. This Test match is England's, rightly or wrongly. You cannot undermine the game like this without repercussions.

The behaviour has been about 9-year-old standard from Pakistan and 5-year-old (maybe 5-and-a-half) from Hair - International cricket is not about making a scene and furthering your own agendas. Unless, and this is a huge unless, he has conclusive and irrefutable proof of tampering, nothing should have been said. You don't disrupt sports games for this unless you are small-minded and egocentric. I was umpiring a U13 game the other day and I was convinced of a suspect action in the other side - but I didn't take the Hair route and no-ball him. Being noticed like that as an official helps nobody. He should also have come back on, given the crowd cricket - making clear his position - and allowed it to be settled overnight.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Is it possible Hair just didn't realize the implications of his actions? Surely he must know the Pakistan team would react strongly, specially considering the history?

I think he probably did. I have a suspicion Hair sees himself as a crusader for what he believes is right; making controversial calls regardless of the storm they bring. I wouldn't presume to speculate on his motives.

I don't wanna sound too sanctimonious, but I think this is one of those occasions (in the words of the cliche) where cricket is the real loser.

 

[open365]

Just look at the seriousness of this issue.

Without any clear proof you are calling someone a cheat and that someone is a national cricket team of a respected nation and considering the popularity of cricket in Pakistan and the pride that is assosiated with its cricket team by its masses you are bound to get a strong reaction.

Does this mean he should treat Pakistan seperately because they are a bunch a 9 year olds?