Hair today, gone in a year

It is the time of year for resurrections and Darrell Hair has risen again to delight his supporters and spread fear and anger among his enemies. What Hair's rehabilitation programme involved requires greater explanation from the ICC? But the decision to reinstate him has certainly reinforced the persecutory complex of Pakistan cricket.

I am sure Hair's reinstatement will be justified by some high principle but there is an alternative explanation. Hair is a habitual litigant. Pakistan have little international cricket over the next year, at the end of which Hair's contract runs out. From an employer's perspective it is far cleaner and more convenient to let the contract run its natural course instead of spending the next few years fighting a nasty legal case.

Any self-respecting CEO--be he a Speed or a Patel- would prefer the exit of least litigation. Mr Hair's return to elite umpiring, therefore, is more cop-out than conspiracy.