***Official*** Pakistan in England

[Tom Halsey]

but that's football and this is cricket. The saying isn't "It's not football", is it? Whatever the present situation may be, cricketers were (and I believe still are) believed to be more honest than footballers and it is generally assumed that a cricketer would never go to very low levels to win the game. I am sure there are exceptions, but generally, that is the belief and from what I have seen, it is true as well.

Whether it is a different sport has nothing to do with it. In football, the referee is always right, and in cricket, the umpire is always right.

Whatever the sport, it is wrong to just walk off the pitch because you believe a decision is wrong.

 

[Run like Inzy]

I think Inzy wasn't sure of what was going on in the first place until the tea break due to his lack of english, this may save him. However, the fact is that PCB handled the situation like fools. What the hell was Zaheer Abbas doing? Where was the advise from the board to the players? Where was the Boards communication with ICC officials (not ECB as was done), the PCB were even unaware of the laws regarding the forfeit as I think they and Iny would have thought twice before coming off. Even after the incident, the naive statements made by Sharayar Khan showed how little the Board members new e.g. the ball was scuffed because of Pietersen, the protest was to last a few minutes. Inzy in my view (trying not to be biased) should be spared.
Darrel Hair and the PCB are responsible for this mess. They didn't communicate and failed in making crucial decisions thus damaging the game. Hair should have been more cool headed and approached the Pakistan before changing the ball and then afterwards in convincing them to play rather than walking off to the frustration of fans.
The PCB should be ashamed of the way it behaved. They did not have a clue as to what was going on and made no formal discussions with the umpire, failed to advise Inzy correctly thus resulting in the farce that followed.

 

[biggun24]

Hair is destroying cricket

Look Players from all the international countries especially bowlers alter the condition of the ball.. we have seen it... All spinners wipe the ball for it to spin more ... we have seen panesar ... kumble .. warne ... harbhajan and many more ..pretty much all of them have .. I mean that is a strategy now for the ball to spin more or less ...I mean by accusing pakistani players of ball tampering when they did not even do is ridiculous ...

32 plus photo cameras have no slight evidence of any player tampering .... and how could hair accuse pakistan with no proff no evidence ... just by looking at the ball .. I mean he did not even warn Inzamam .. he simply changed the ball ...

I certainly think that this is a disrespect to the world # 2 team with world class players who are masters at cricket ... then when they delayed the match for 10 minutes he removes the bail what nonsense is this ... he should have consult the managers anf other officals ... He destroyed a great match that pakistan was pounding England .... even with younis khan's controversial OUT .... I mean asif always performs brilliant gains england and pretty much everyone .... last match he played against england he got 8 wickets ... I mean he is not cheating .... neither is anyone else.... if they did cheat they would not protest and take it to heart ...

I mean it was a mess what hair did .. you think pakistan would cheat when they are dominating?

England need to face the facts pakistani bowlers were injured (shoiab akhtar , Naved-ul-hasan, Asif) now that they have recovered they are ready to destroy england .. so Hair brings this nonsense to give and impression that pakistan is cheating ... I mean its ridiculous ...

Inzamam simply protested so now he is accused of ball tampering ... becuz he is the captain what is this nonsense ... there is unecessary pressure being applied on pakistan team ...

People read my previous comments ... also and then tell me what you think .. ICC needs to wake up and see the light!

 

[Steulen]

you think pakistan would cheat when they are dominating?

By the time of the incident, Pakistan weren't dominating at all. Yes, they were still ahead in the game, but they were finding it hard to break partnerships and the ball wasn't doing anything. Until all of a sudden it started to swing like mad when Asif bowled. Great bowler

 

[Tomm NCCC]

By the time of the incident, Pakistan weren't dominating at all. Yes, they were still ahead in the game, but they were finding it hard to break partnerships and the ball wasn't doing anything. Until all of a sudden it started to swing like mad when Asif bowled. Great bowler

Yeah, very well put mate,

To be honest, Id rather play the West Indies.

 

[biggun24]

who is to blame?

People this is a sensitive issue ... if some referee is accusing you as cheating ... how can you continue ... then after the team speaking to the managers, they were ready to play (so then how did PCB fail to handle it properly?) ... but hair refused .. I mean forfeiting is called " when a team says they are not playing anymore .. they did not say that... they we protesting about the ball-tampering ... When Hair apporached the pakistan dressing room he asked if Pakistan was going to continue and Inzy replied by asking "why did u change the ball" he did not say he was not playing ... so it is not forfeit ... how does that make sense awarding the team a win when they are getting hammered ... give me a break ...

Yea honestly I think what inzy did was fine I mean he took action after the play during tea not during the match .. He was reasonable ... By the way PCB handled it fine as they encouraged the team to continue the match and right after the team returned to the feild .... it was Hair who failed to co-operate .....

So then who is to blame?
Obviously ... Hair.
Not ECB either they co-operated.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Hmm it's like Fraz only worse...

 

[andyc]

I didn't think that was possible

 

[social]

To be honest, havnig had time to think it all over and having read a lot about it (mostly here) I do agree that the way Pak handled it was very bad indeed. I mean, if it was so bad to them, they should have walked off straightaway and not cared about the game. After all, what is a win or loss when your morality is at stake? But they didn't and then they tried to protest and then they came back out again. It was all very stupid and very unfair to the spectators. I agree with all of that. I think they should get some sort of punishment but I would rather PCB face the sanctions than Inzy because I don't think he is the cause here.


Having said all that, isn't it obvious that someone like Hair being on the panel is only detrimental to the game? I honestly don't think he has enough evidence to back up his claim that Pakistan did tamper with the ball. I think he is reckoning on the ICC backing him up more than the presence of any real evidence. If he has evidence, well and good. But even if he has, he still needs to be talked to about his role as an umpire and the way to handle potential crisis situations. Umpires are there to diffuse tension not to intensify them. And if he does not have the evidence (which I more than half suspect is the case) I think he should be removed because the point here is that Pakistan will never play under him. If Sri Lanka too make a similar statement, then he is left with umpiring in only half of the matches at best. The ICC can make an example of both here. They can ban Hair to show that how umpires SHOULD NOT behave in crisis situations and they can slap fines and sanctions on PCB to show that the commitment of all teams at all times should be towards the paying public.

Both Hair's and Pakistan's actions were detrimental to the game of cricket.

Both showed a blatant disregard to the paying public and to the commercial realities of modern sport.

However, if Hair is vindicated, at least he has proven himself to be one of the only upholders of the laws of cricket in the modern game.

If Pakistan is cleared, they have still forfeited a test - that will never leave them.

TBH, I dont think we'll ever know the real "truth" - too much is at stake

As for Hair relying on the ICC when making the decision - why would he?

He was a sacrificial lamb after the Murali incident andnothing has changed since to give him more confidence

 

[grecian]

Blimey.

ICC have just announced, that Daryl Hair offered to resign for cash

 

[Scaly piscine]

Blimey.

ICC have just announced, that Daryl Hair offered to resign for cash

Yea, that's a bizarre one and why would the ICC announce that anyway?

Must be part of a political fudging process that's likely to happen over this whole issue.

 

[Sanz]

Poor Pakistani cricketers caught in Mr. Hair's early retirement scheme.

 

[no1_gangsta_786]

Inzamam's hearing put off until september which means the ODI series will go ahead...YES!

 

[grecian]

Yea, that's a bizarre one and why would the ICC announce that anyway?

Must be part of a political fudging process that's likely to happen over this whole issue.

They're saying their leeches, ermm I mean lawyers told them to.

This is going to run and run.

 

[Sanz]

http://www.icc-cricket.com/engvpak/content/story/257781.html

"I am confident, as is David Richardson, who has been intimately involved in these matters that Darrell had no dishonest, underhand or malicious intent. He was seeking to find a solution that was in the interests of the game."

Sure Sure Mr. Speed, I believe you 100%.

 

[Fusion]

So wait a second...Hair was willing to go away for $500,000? And though he has a preference for "lifestyle choice" as explanation, he was giving permission to ICC to announce the news anyway they want. So presumably, they could've stated "he sucks as an umpire" and Hair would've been ok as long as the cash was in his account. Wow. Classy and honorable guy. My admiration for him has grown even more!

 

[social]

After all, he is dealing with the home of the pay-off.

 

[Langeveldt]

Inzamam's hearing put off until september which means the ODI series will go ahead...YES!

Damn, how can you play an ODI series and act like nothings going on? Cricket is in its biggest crisis since Cronje, and we all carry on around the country carrying on like nothing happened!

 

[SJS]

Inzamam's hearing put off until september which means the ODI series will go ahead...YES!

Dont be so sure. There are reports that the pakistani team is insisting that the hearing be held before the start of the series.

However, reports continued to circulate that the team was not prepared to play until the Code of Conduct hearing had been held.

 

[Legglancer]

http://www.icc-cricket.com/engvpak/content/story/257781.html

"I am confident, as is David Richardson, who has been intimately involved in these matters that Darrell had no dishonest, underhand or malicious intent. He was seeking to find a solution that was in the interests of the game."

Sure Sure Mr. Speed, I believe you 100%.

Hair .... Just when you think it cannot get any worse, he goes and does something to top himself ! what a "drama queen" ..... I think he is suffering from a psychological condition known as " Paranoid Schizophrenia" characterized predominantly by megalomania and delusions of persecution & grandeur .