Spectre of Muralitharan-Hair clash hangs over ICC quarter-final

If Sri Lanka beat the West Indies next Wednesday in the ICC KnockOut Trophy they will play Pakistan in the quarterfinal. Darrell Hair, who controversially no balled Mutiah Muralitharan in the bad tempered 1995/6 tour of Australia, is scheduled to officiate in the match. The possibility of Hair standing has reawakened a sorry episode, that enraged the Sri Lankan nation.

At the press briefing before the Sri Lankan team left for Nairobi, Sanath Jayasuriya was asked what he would do if Darrel Hair officiated in the match. The matter had clearly been discussed and the skipper was happy to announce that this was an issue for the Sri Lankan Board.

The President of the BCCSL, Mr Thilanga Sumithapala, took up the issue and replied in no uncertain terms: "We will do everything possible to make that he does not stand against Sri Lankan cricket."

Muralitharan was first called for throwing by Hair in Melbourne on Boxing Day 1995. His choice of Boxing Day, the biggest day in the Australian sporting calendar, coupled with the fact that he called the spinner from the bowlers end, aroused suspicions and an outcry from Sri Lankan cricket fans.

On the same tour in Brisbane, Ross Emerson and Mcquillan, also called the bowler for throwing. Whilst they at least called from square leg Emerson was made to look a fool by calling Muralitharan for his leg break, a delivery for which it is inconceivable that his arm could straighten.

The issue was passed over to the ICC and a panel investigated his action and exonerated him. For the next two years he cleaned up batsmen throughout the world with his beguiling off-spin and no international umpires voiced any suspicions.

Then, when Sri Lanka next visited Australia in 1998/9, Ross Emerson called Muralitharan in a one-day international at Adelaide. His action was not unexpected. On the contrary, Muralitharan had been subjected to an inexplicable witch-hunt by both the Australian media and segments of the public in the preceding weeks. The perfect stage had been created, whether intentionally or not, and Emerson couldn't resist taking the lead role.

Thankfully the sorry episode has not since been re-opened. Nevertheless the looming spectre of a Muralitharan/Hair confrontation requires the ICC to take discrete but swift action. If Sri Lanka qualify, then Darrell Hair should umpire one of the other quarterfinals or be firmly instructed to leave sensitive judgments to bowling experts.

Were Hair to be relocated to a Zimbabwean game then this is sure to irk Grant Flower, who has recently discovered at first hand, Hair's penchant for calling bowlers. Bret Lee too, may be not too endeared by the company of Hair. One hopes that the ICC has taken their most silken-tongued press officer. One suspects the powers that be are praying for a West Indian victory on Wednesday.