Let's get back to the Spirit of Cricket

Malcolm Speed: 'The last six weeks have certainly put the issue of ball tampering back on the agenda for everyone involved in the game and it is obviously something that requires some careful consideration' © Getty Images

Criticism of the ICC's role in the events of August 20 and its aftermath has been plentiful - and much of it has been unfair.

Everyone acknowledges that, in an ideal world, a hearing into any charges levelled at a player should take place on the same day as an incident, the player involved is found either guilty or not guilty in a room full of cricket people and everyone moves on.

But, for a variety of reasons that was not possible this time, not least because the issue confronting everyone involved the real world, was unprecedented and provoked high emotion. Processes exist for many things but dealing with the immediate aftermath of a Test that had been awarded to one side when the other was deemed to have refused to play is not among them. Cricket must learn from this experience.

It is a source of regret that the matter became so protracted and that it involved lawyers as well as cricketers. But the delay in hearing the case, caused in part by the unavailability of chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle, allowed time for reflection and when the hearing did take place all sides agreed it was comprehensive and fair and showed the ICC's processes are robust enough to handle even the toughest situations.

It cannot have been easy for a former cricketer to pass judgement in a complex incident that brought a high-profile current cricketer into conflict with elite umpires but the judgement highlights the independence of both the hearing and ICC's procedures.

And far from undermining the authority of the umpires, as some have claimed, the hearing maintained it. By banning Inzamam-ul-Haq for four matches, Ranjan confirmed players cannot take the Law into their own hands, no matter how wronged they feel. The fact the Pakistan Cricket Board have not appealed the ban is a clear indication it accepts that.

The last six weeks have certainly put the issue of ball tampering back on the agenda for everyone involved in the game and it is obviously something that requires some careful consideration, not only by the ICC but also by the MCC, the body responsible for the Laws of the Game.

The ICC's vehicle for doing that is our Cricket Committee, a body that meets annually and includes figures such as Sunil Gavaskar, Allan Border, Majid Khan and Angus Fraser. In the light of this case it is certain the issue will feature heavily in discussion when that group convenes in the first half of next year.

One of the key themes to emerge in Ranjan's judgement was the need for communication and it is applicable on many levels in every international match - between the on-field umpires, the umpires and match referee, the umpires and the two teams and the match referee and the paying public.

Those lines of communication must be kept open at all times and ensuring that is the case in future has been a key theme of a long-planned seminar held in Dubai this week and involving all our Elite and international panel umpires as well as our elite panel of match referees.

The future of one of the umpires involved in the Test match, Darrell Hair, has been the subject of much speculation and that intensified when it was announced he would not be standing in the ICC Champions Trophy. However, despite what you may have heard there was nothing sinister about that decision.

Prior to the hearing we received a letter from the BCCI President Sharad Pawar raising his concerns about a potential negative reaction from some followers of the game there and the security implications this may have. We listened to this view and sought independent security advice which highlighted a heightened risk and the need for 24 hour protection.

In the circumstances we decided it was in the best interests of Darrell and the tournament not to send him to the event.

Darrell remains a member of our Elite panel of umpires ... and I very much hope he will stand again at the highest level

Nevertheless, Darrell remains a member of our Elite panel of umpires, his decision-making marks him out as one of the ICC's top officials and I very much hope he will stand again at the highest level. And in that regard it was pleasing to see comments from both Inzamam and Shaharyar Khan last weekend expressing similar sentiments.

For all concerned it is time to move on and we will do that this week with the start of the ICC Champions Trophy. Ten teams will battle it out in 21 matches over 30 days for one of the biggest prizes in cricket in India, a country that eats, sleeps and breathes the game.

The tournament will raise over $US13 million for the continued development of the game globally and it is the perfect setting for everyone to reaffirm the qualities that have made cricket such a great sport for the past 300 years, especially as players from all sides have pledged to uphold the Spirit of Cricket during the tournament.

How can they do that? Well, the Spirit of Cricket refers to the need to show respect.

Respect for your opponents, respect for your own captain and team, respect for the role of the umpires and respect for the game's traditional values which embody that sense of fair play.

At the same time, it is against the Spirit of the Game to dispute an umpire's decision, to abuse an opponent or umpire, to appeal knowing a batsman is not out, to appeal aggressively or to distract a batsman.

Adhering to the Spirit of Cricket at the ICC Champions Trophy, in the full gaze of the public, will be the best way to move forward and also safeguard the game's long-term future. It will remind everyone that cricket is a sport that is worth encouraging our children to play because it fosters not only competition but also fairness. And it will also ensure cricket is in the headlines for all the right reasons over the next month.