Daryl Hair causes Paki walk off!!

[Rik E Boy]

Sensational news from the Oval. Pakistan refused to take the field after Tea on the 4th day of the 4th test against England. Umpire Darrel Hair docked the Pakistan team five runs for tampering with the ball and the Pakis cracked the shits and did not reappear after the break.

Will the game continue tonight or will the match be abandonded. Why don't you lay of the Asians Lou?

Details: http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/engvpak ... 25258.html

regards,

REB

[MightyEagles]

Match called off and England are declared the winners.

[mal]

Surprise surprise Pakistan involved in an Abandoned test.
Check the betting sheets......

[blink]

It sounds to me like Darrell Hair had no proof or evidence that a Pakistani player had actaully tampered with the ball, and that the damage may have just been general wear & tear on a ball that was 55 overs old.

Botham, Atherton and Hussain all said that what happened is a joke and that Pakistan was right to protest in the way that they did.

[JK]

IMHO the correct decision has been made in declaring England the winners ... Whether Hair's decision of tampering was correct or not, players must play to the umpires adjudication in EVERY sport ... Wrong decisions are made all the time, particularly in cricket, but attempting to hold the match to ransom is not on and something strict like this needed to happen to ensure the type of crap the Paki's have tried on won't be a sensible option in future!

[Rik E Boy]

IMHO the correct decision has been made in declaring England the winners ... Whether Hair's decision of tampering was correct or not, players must play to the umpires adjudication in EVERY sport ... Wrong decisions are made all the time, particularly in cricket, but attempting to hold the match to ransom is not on and something strict like this needed to happen to ensure the type of crap the Paki's have tried on won't be a sensible option in future!

Agreed, although the third test was handed to the Poms as well by the umpires who gave KP not out and he went on to make a ton. They'll get no such help here.

regards,

REB

[Aerie]

This is an amazing result. Just as well it was a dead match and the result had no bearing on the series (although each Test match is important).

A review of the footage should take place. With the amount of cameras, they should be able to pick something up if something happened. Hair was obviously very suss, continually watching the fielders who had the ball.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Pakis were cheating. Was it earlier in the year when Afridi deliberately scuffed up the pitch? If they were cheating, good on Hair for having the balls to stand up to them and the ICC should get behind him.

[blink]

Hair is a stubbon pr*ck and said should Pakistan return to the pitch, he wouldn't. It is hard to tell at this stage who is in the wrong and there are for and against arguments that can come from both sides.

Awarding the match to England seems like the right decision, but what I can't understand why some "respected" past English players now in the media, would make comments alluding otherwise? Maybe they are more directed at the ICC, and there may be some kind of agenda there...

[Rik E Boy]

I'd be very surprised if Pakistan were cheating. They were on top and gave up the match to protect their reputation. Why would you do that if you were trying on something with the pill? IMO this reflects very badly on Darrell Hair who has become bigger than the game here. A good umpire should hardly be noticed but he has caused Cricket history and probably shouldn't have. Sorry Darrell, you are a goose.

regards,

REB

[blink]

Not the first time he has been central to cricketing controversy either...

Calling Murali for springs to mind....that time he was later found to be wrong.

[heater31]

Not the first time he has been central to cricketing controversy either...

Calling Murali for springs to mind....that time he was later found to be wrong.

no blinky the ICC changed the rules to save face that the fastest wicket taker in history was not a chucka.
the rules were changed to a maximum of 15 degrees Murali's max is 13 or 14 degrees.

for me Daryl was the one with the balls to call it as he saw it then ICC didnt have any and stabbed him in the back

[JK]

I'm with Heater*

[Maddogmike]

Sky Sports Television have about 852285483527852 cameras in the ground and none of them have found any evidence to suggest any player had tampered with the ball. The fact that Pieterson hit a few 6's in the stands could alone damage the ball. Hair is an absolute cock and he loves to try and have some sort of influence on the game. The fact he is still umpiring is a joke in itself.

I dont like the Paki's much, but fair play to them refusing to come back out. If Hair had some sort of video evidence, then fine, but saying a team is cheating without any evidence is damn harsh.

[MightyEagles]

Not the first time he has been central to cricketing controversy either...

Calling Murali for springs to mind....that time he was later found to be wrong.

Were you at the game between England and Sri Lanka at Adelaide, I was and to me, it looked like he chucked the ball. And I've seen my fair share of cricket on TV and at Adelaide Oval.

[dinglinga]

maybe in the next celebrity cricket match we should have darryl hair and darren goldspink as umpires ..... jeez there might be players running off crying for the sledging they cop...

[Dogmatic]

Interesting to see that Unitab have paid out for a win.

[RustyCage]

End of over 55 (maiden) - England 225/3

PD Collingwood 3* (13b) Danish Kaneria 22-5-59-1
KP Pietersen 66* (83b 11x4) Umar Gul 13-1-65-1


55.1 Umar Gul to Pietersen, 2 runs, whipped off his hips for a couple
55.2 Umar Gul to Pietersen, no run, outside off stump, and a big wind-up as KP aims something expansive through midwicket. Doesn't get good contact though
55.3 Umar Gul to Pietersen, 1 run, a smattering of applause for a sensible nudge off the hips into space on the leg side
55.4 Umar Gul to Collingwood, 2 runs, better from Collingwood, finds space through the covers to pick up another couple
55.5 Umar Gul to Collingwood, no run, short and pushed back into the crease. Drops the ball at his feet
55.6 Umar Gul to Collingwood, no run, full and swinging. A mistimed drive dribbles out to extra cover
But first there's a conference between the umpires. It looks like there's a problem with the ball, it seems to have got a bit damp, so out comes the fourth official with a box of spares. Inzy isn't very happy about this, because the ball was just beginning to find some reverse swing

Five penalty runs! Oho, trouble here. Umpire Hair taps his shoulder to signal the extra runs. "A massive incident," speculates Nasser Hussain. The quarter seam seems to have been raised, and the batsmen are having a look now.

So the game of cat and mouse continues. Though who is playing which role? It's not entirely apparent.
End of over 56 (10 runs) - England 235/3

PD Collingwood 5* (16b) Umar Gul 13.5-1-70-1
KP Pietersen 69* (86b 11x4) Danish Kaneria 22-5-59-1


56.1 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, no run, apologies for the delay in updates - the extra runs have thrown our scoring, temporarily
56.2 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, FOUR, Pietersen's not bothered by all the fuss, however, and slapped through the covers
56.3 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, no run
56.4 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, no run
56.5 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, no run
56.6 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, no run, Bob Woolmer is marching down the steps with a look of thunder on his face
It had been a peaceful series up to now!

Gul is out of the attack, which may or may not be significant
End of over 57 (4 runs) - England 239/3

KP Pietersen 73* (92b 12x4) Danish Kaneria 23-5-63-1
PD Collingwood 5* (16b) Umar Gul 13.5-1-70-1


57.1 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, no run, England need to keep their composure here, because things could get a bit testy here
57.2 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, no run, left well alone
57.3 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, 1 no ball, bouncer, and a good one too. But he oversteps in his enthusiasm
57.3 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, no run, good line and length from Asif as ever
57.4 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, FOUR, but not that time. This one is over-pitched and clobbered through the covers. Lovely shot
57.5 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, no run, well, well, well. Umpire Hair just can't help but get involved, can he?
57.6 Mohammad Asif to Collingwood, no run, amid all the polavah, England are making pretty serene progress
Inzamam chews his gum with a furious expression on his face
End of over 58 (5 runs) - England 244/3

PD Collingwood 9* (23b 1x4) Mohammad Asif 15-1-75-1
KP Pietersen 73* (92b 12x4) Danish Kaneria 23-5-63-1


58.1 Danish Kaneria to Pietersen, 1 run, clipped off the pads and out to square leg
58.2 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, fully forward and smothered
58.3 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, four men round the bat, including three on the off side. But Collingwood's giving them nothing
58.3 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, four men round the bat, including three on the off side. But Collingwood's giving them nothing
58.4 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, fully forward again, and well defended
58.5 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, 2 runs, a nicely timed clip through midwicket. Good patience
Bob Woolmer and Waqar Younis in discussion on the balcony, with a ball in hand 58.6 Danish Kaneria to Collingwood, no run, the excitement in this game has just temporarily spilled off the pitch and into the match referee's office
End of over 59 (3 runs) - England 247/3

PD Collingwood 11* (28b 1x4) Danish Kaneria 24-5-66-1
KP Pietersen 74* (93b 12x4) Mohammad Asif 15-1-75-1

[RustyCage]

Tea So the umpires call an early tea as the skies get gloomier... We'll keep you updated as to when play will recommence but meantime everyone will be reflecting on the unexpected events this afternoon. Drop us a line to let us know what you think

4.35pm The covers are coming off, and it's looking bright enough for a resumption. And here come the umpires

4.40pm Now then, this is interesting. The umpires are out there, but the Pakistanis are not coming out of the dressing-room. We could have a bit of an incident here.

The slow-hand claps start to ring out ... but there is nothing doing from the Pakistanis. The England batsmen are ready, and now the umpires are having to troop back indoors.

Inzy was threatening to come out, it would seem, but now they are going deeper back into the bowels of the pavilion. I sense a major incident is about to kick off here.

4.45pm Zaheer Abbas, Pakistan's manager, is talking on his mobile phone on the balcony, but no sign of Inzamam or Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, who was seen before tea striding towards the match referee's office with the rule book in hand.

No doubt about it, we've got a protest in progress here.

4.50pm Jenny here, while Andrew goes to find out what's going on... nobody seems to know, though, as the Pakistan team have delayed their arrival on to the pitch. We will let you know as soon as we know what the latest situation is, but an extraordinary day is just getting more baffling. The crowd are entertaining themselves with a Mexican wave, in the absence of any entertainment out in the middle. Stay with us.

4.55pm The batsmen are coming out now, to great cheers, but there's no sign of the Pakistan team. Oh, there goes Kamran Akmal, on the balcony, but he just sits down and takes his gloves off. He's making a statement of intent here, picking up his paper and just reading it. Pakistan are clearly not going to take the field now. The only people out on the field are the two batsmen and two umpires. This is most peculiar.

5.00pm The bails are coming off now - suggesting the game is over - and the umpires are roundly booed by the crowd. The umpires are walking off as are the batsmen. Have Pakistan forfeited the game? We'll let you know as soon as we've got anything on that. This is a hugely serious situation - and the crowds have no idea what's going on. Stay tuned and we'll bring you the news as it develops.

5.05pm Still waiting for news, as is everyone else... so bear with us...

5.10pm Kamran Akmal has been called back into the dressing room, presumably for a team meeting, whereas Shoaib Akhtar has left. They're shaking hands on the balcony. David Morgan, the ECB chairman, has just shaken hands with Zaheer Abbas. Now Morgan and Sharayar Khan, the chairman of the PCB, are sitting around to have crisis talks. Stay with us.

5.15pmThe Pakistan officials and David Morgan are now going into the Pakistan dressing room for talks.

5.20pm Here's what Andrew Miller has for us. "The issue would seem to boil down to evidence. Has Darrell Hair got any proof that the Pakistanis were tampering with the ball? Did he see a specific player scratch at the seam, or did he take a look at a ball that is 55 overs old and draw his own conclusions? As Ian Botham has just said on Sky Sports, it's a matter of honour to the Pakistanis. If Hair has no proof, then they are well within their rights to take this stance." Thanks for that update, Andrew.

5.25pm In a further surprising twist, the covers are now coming off and that's greeted by a huge cheer. But the stumps have still not been replaced. Whatever it is, it's a mess.

5.27pm A ha, the Pakistan team have spoken with Mike Procter, the match referee, and have apparently confirmed that they will take the field. But, oh dear, the light has deteriorated so the England batsmen could take the light if they go back on the field. This is a complete farce of Carry On proportions, but without the humour.

5.30pm Boos from the crowd as Pakistan take to the field. The crowd haven't been kept informed of what's been happening, but it'sgood that Pakistan are on.

Darrell Hair is now saying that if Pakistan take the field, he won't.

It's all very sad, and very messy.


5.32pm It gets more bizarre. Pakistan are now walking off as the umpires aren't coming out.

"It sums up the ICC for me," says Nasser Hussain on Sky. "They talk about irrelevant things. You've got a major sporting issue here at The Oval, surely Mike Procter sits down with the main people and says, "Right what's going on?" Do it behind the scenes and get a decision made and this would stop all these ridiculous scenes of players going up and down stairs."

There are press cameraman loitering at the bottom of the steps capturing these extraordinary scenes, and who can blame them. These photos will be making the backpages tomorrow for sure.

Some people aren't hanging around - fed up with the nonsense, spectators are starting to leave.

Andrew McGlashan has just had a call from a friend at the ground who confirms that none of the spectators has been told anything about what is going on.

5.40pmAt last there's an announcement over the tannoy for the crowds.

Meanwhile, Mike Atherton's opinions on Sky are scathing of Darrell Hair, saying his decision lacks any historical context and that they lacked common sense. "It's bound to inflame things. It would have been best to leave it to the end of the day. He's not a man to back down. He's a stubborn character, a strong character.. so even though Pakistan said they were willing to come back out [after the bails removal/apparent forfeiture] you could imagine him sitting in the dressing room refusing to come out."

5.45pm No individual has been accused, by the way; Cricinfo have been told by sources inside the Pakistan camp.

5.50pm "We are hurt and we are disappointed," says Shahrayar Khan, "and we are registering our complaints through the relevant channels."

He also added this, on Sky: "We have indicated very clearly that we can go out and play, in fact the boys came out and that we want the Test match to continue. We want this issue to be finished and resolved. We want the umpires to come out. We have indicated we are ready to come on to the field and play."

About the incident earlier he had this to say: "Nobody was consulted and nobody was told that something was wrong with the ball and they felt deeply aggrieved for the country and for the fans. They said that we want to register a protest and they felt that they could do it by just waiting a few minutes. And then we were ready to come out and we felt it was extraordinary that we were ready to come out and the umpires say they are not. It's very sad that this has come to pass."

He added further: "I hope the match can continue. It's bad light but even if we can continue for half an hour, that would be good."

Looking ahead, whether this would affect the one-dayers, Khan didn't say. "I don't know what's going to happen in the future. We have absolutely no complaint with the English board. We have very good relations and atmosphere, the spirit of this series has been excellent. If this match is abandoned it wont be because of the English board or the team it will be because of an incident that has been brought to the fore by the umpires."

Nasser Hussain added this: "The problem is the conflict with the boards and the ICC. This is an ICC matter. The ICC and the umpires are the ones that are supposed to be running this game of cricket. Who is in charge of this game?"


6.00pm An ECB spokesperson has just said: "It's entirely a matter for the ICC and the PCB. England's batsmen were out there and all ready to resume playing." They are going to sit tight and wait for someone to make a decision. For obvious reasons, ie it's not really anything to do with them, the England camp won't be making any further statements on this situation at the moment.


6.05pm According to Sky, the fourth umpire has just informed the teams that there will be no more play today.

Just a little extra from the bemused ECB spokesperson. "It's certainly nothing to do with the spirit between the teams. That much I can tell you. Just like the rest of us, they are sat there in astonishment waiting for someone to tell us what's happening."

6.15pm Play has been officially called off for the day, according to Sky. That leaves open the possibility that there will be cricket tomorrow. That all needs to be confirmed and hopefully we'll have that news for you shortly.

6.30pm The ECB have just announced that the ICC have told them that meetings will be held immediately after play to determine whether the match will go ahead tomorrow. We'll obviously bring you that news as soon as we have it.

6.32pm Bob Woolmer has just announced: "The team is upset by the inference they have been accused of tampering with the ball and therefore cheating. It is a no-win situation as the umpires refuse to come out."

6.40pm Stumps Well, that's been a most extraordinary day., with the outcome of this match thrown into utter doubt after Umpire Hair changed the ball in the 56th over of England's innings, unhappy with its condition and then Pakistan staged a protest after tea, refusing to come back on to the pitch at first.

Do check our match cluster to read in-depth pieces on the events, and scroll down to find out what happened. It's been utter chaos at the Oval and we're still not even sure whether the game will go ahead tomorrow, but you can find out on the site shortly after the ICC concludes its crisis meeting.

Thanks for joining us today... and we will hope to be back with you tomorrow.

[RustyCage]

"Darrell Hair is now saying that if Pakistan take the field, he won't."

What a wanker.

[Jimmy]

FFS, ban the pakis, cheating pricks, just like south ahhaha