Cricket Umpire Offered To Quit For Cash
Sky News Friday August 25, 04:30 PM



Umpire Darrell Hair offered to resign for $500,000 after a ball-tampering controversy in Pakistan's fourth test with England, cricket top brass have revealed. The International Cricket Council is trying to resolve a major dispute after the match was forfeited. Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove first penalised Pakistan five runs for damaging the ball.

They then judged Pakistan had forfeited the match by failing to halt a sit-in protest.

The ICC's committee chief executive Malcolm
Speed said he received a letter from the umpire to a cricket official offering to quit for the sizeable sum of money.

Mr Speed said: "I was handed a letter written (on August 22) by Darrell Hair to Doug Cowie, who is the ICC Umpires and Referees Manager.

"I have said to him (Hair) that he is not sacked, he is not suspended, and he has not been charged. I also said to him that I didn't guarantee that each of those three positions would be maintained indefinitely."

But Hair has responded by committing himself to carrying on with his career.

He said in a statement: "This correspondence was composed after a very difficult time and was revoked by myself two days later after a period of serious consideration.

"There was no malicious intent behind this communication with the ICC."

Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq is facing disciplinary charges for failing to lead his men onto the pitch, at The Oval, London, on Sunday.

He is accused of ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.

From: Darrell Hair
Sent: Tuesday 22nd August 2006
To: Doug Cowie
Subject: The way forward

Doug, just to firm up what we discussed earlier this evening. I appreciate the ICC may be put in a untenable position with regards to future appointments and having taken considerable time and advice, I make this one-off, non-negotiable offer.

I am prepared to retire/stand down/relinquish my position on the elite panel to take effect from 31st August 2006 on the following terms:

1. A one-off payment to compensate the loss of future earnings and retain a payment over the next four years which I believe would have been the best years I have to offer ICC and world umpiring.

This payment is be the sum of US $500,000 - details of which must be kept confidential by both parties. This sum to be paid directly into my account by 31st August 2006.

2. ICC may announce the retirement in any way they wish, but I would prefer a simple 'lifestyle choice' as this was the very reason I moved from Australia to settle in the UK three years ago.

3. No public comment to be made by me as to possible reasons for the decision.

4. This offer in no way precludes me taking legal action and/or instigating libel suits against various sections of the electronic and print media for comments made either previously or in the future.

5. This in no way precludes me taking civil action (and exercising my rights as a resident of the UK in any court of law and by any other avenue open to me) against any organisation or persons currently part of ICC and in particular, members of the Pakistan cricket team and the Pakistan Cricket Board.

I reiterate this is a once only offer and if I fail to obtain your agreement I shall continue to be available under the terms of my current contract till March 31 2008 to fulfil umpiring appointments as and when ICC sees fit in any country at any time in any series or matches involving any affiliated teams.

I would also insist that my ongoing contracted employment continue in its current form until such time as an ICC performance assessment deems me to be no longer able to perform the duties to the high class expected of an international umpire.

Would you please let me know at your earliest convenience of your acceptance or otherwise of this offer.

Sincerely, Darrell Hair.

Hair is a Nazi.