Pakistan will now need a new leader
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
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The Pakistan Cricket Board has much to answer for writes Asif Iqbal in The News.
In this entire controversy, the relationship that Darrell Hair enjoys with other functionaries of the ICC has been a revelation. The match referee Mike Proctor wanted to restart the match but could not prevail upon Hair to do so; the ICC chief executive, who plays a rather bigger role than his position as a paid executive of the ICC would perhaps merit, is also reported to have spoken to Hair, but to no avail. One would have thought that in terms of the hierarchy of the ICC, both the match referee and certainly the chief executive are above the umpire but Hair could flout both.
When the dust settles on this one, Pakistan will have to find another leader and leave Inzamam alone to charm the world with the quality of his batting, writes Harsha Bhogle in The Indian Express.
There can be no more resounding victory than honour questioned and vindicated. But Pakistan chose to sit out and I’m afraid that was a huge failure of management. They needed a calm, shrewd mind in the dressing room and they were let down. The captain has to bear the brunt for that, but so must the manager.
Mark Nicholas writes in The Daily Telegraph that reverse swing will be forever clouded in suspicion.
What on earth has Billy Doctrove's agent been doing with himself this week? asks Harry Pearson in The Guardian.
There's his client at the centre of one of the biggest sports stories of the year and all we hear is Darrell Hair this and Darrell Hair that. If I were the Dominican umpire I would be seeking alternative representation. Unlike Umpire Doctrove, Umpire Hair seems unlikely to be forgotten in a hurry. Hair today, gone tomorrow - I think not.
George Binoy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo