Australia delay umpire decision (19 November 1998)

November 19 1998

Australia delay umpire decision

AFP

BRISBANE, Australia, Nov 19 (AFP) - The Australian Cricket Board postponed a decision Thursday on whether umpire Darrell Hair should officiate in one-day matches involving Sri Lanka here in January.

Sri Lankan officials have asked the ACB to ban Hair from umpiring their matches in the triangular one-day tournament which also involves England. Hair no-balled Sri Lankan offspinner Muttiah Muralidharan for throwing in the 1995 Boxing Day Test at Melbourne. In his recent autobiography Hair warned he would no-ball Muralidharan again if he did not improve his "diabolical" action.

ACB chairman Denis Rogers said the board considered a report on the book at Thursday's meeting from chief executive officer Malcolm Speed. He said the board had sought further advice on the matter from the International Cricket Council (ICC). "We received a preliminary report on the publication from Malcolm Speed and considered letters exchanged between the board of cricket control for Sri Lanka and the ICC," Rogers said.

"On the basis of this information, the ACB has established that it requires further advice and clarification and communication with the ICC before it can determine what action, if any, the board should take." The ACB does not name its umpires for the one-day series until mid December.

Muralidharan was no-balled for throwing by Hair seven times in a three over period in the 1995 Boxing Day Test, triggering an international furore. The Sri Lankan spinner was also no-balled for throwing by umpire Ross Emerson in Brisbane later that tour but has not been called since. "I could have called him 27 times or even more but I did not want the matter to become farcical," Hair wrote.