Darrell's book a hair-raiser (13 November 1998)

13 November 1998

Darrell's book a hair-raiser

Rick Eyre in CricInfo365

Australian Test umpire Darrell Hair is set to create an international uproar with the publication next week of his autobiography, "The Decision Maker". Hair's comments about Sri Lankan off-spinner Mutiah Muralitharan and the 1995-96 Sri Lankan tour of Australia are likely to reopen old wounds with the Sri Lankans set to visit Australia in January and February for the Carlton & United One-Day tri-series.

Hair was the first of three umpires who called Muralitharan for throwing during the 1995-96 tour, no-balling him seven times on the opening day of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After widespread suspicions about Muralitharan's action and the no-ballings on the Australian tour, an ICC committee conducted an investigation of Muralitharan's bowling in 1996. After the submission of extensive and intricate scientific evidence in his support, the committee found no illegality in Muralitharan's action and he has not been called for throwing since.

According to reports published in News Limited newspapers in Australia on Thursday, Hair says in his book, released in November to take advantage of the Christmas gift market, that he had been convinced of the illegality of Muralitharan's action during a one-day game two weeks before the Boxing Day Test. He did not take action because he had hoped that the matter would be resolved behind the scenes.

According to the newspaper reports, Hair said in his book that he was disappointed with the lack of support from match referee Graham Dowling and the then ACB chief executive Graham Halbish. Hair also said that he did not believe that Muralitharan straightened his arm all the time. He further called findings that Muralitharan had a permanently bent arm which he could not straighten, "laughable".

Hair says in his book that he has no preconceived plan for Muralitharan, but that he will adjudge every ball individually and call anything he sees contrary to the rules of the game. The international media agencies were running hot on Thursday night with reports saying "Muralitharan has been warned today that his action will be under scrutiny..."

In another part of the book Hair is reported to reveal that he had also reported Sri Lankan slow bowlers Kumara Dharmasena and Ruwan Kalpage, but did not want to no-ball them on the field because he did not want to "sour Australia's simmering relations with Sri Lanka" on the eve of the World Cup.

Hair also described in the book some of the death threats he received after the no-balling incident with Muralitharan.

Hair is scheduled to umpire the First Test between Australia and England starting next Friday, and as one of Australia's two international panel umpires appears certain to stand in the one-day series involving Australia, England and Sri Lanka in the new year.

Source :: CricInfo365