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| August 24, 2006 | Thursday | Rajab 28, 1427 |
ICC backs umpires in Oval Test row
LONDON, Aug 23: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed insisted Pakistan would have no right of veto over the appointment of Darrell Hair after the umpire ruled they had forfeited last week's fourth Test against England here at The Oval.
Speed, who said Tuesday he'd received a letter of protest from Shaharyar, stressed that there would be no change in the appointment procedure of officials. He also backed the stance taken by fellow Australian Hair and Doctrove.
“It is hugely regrettable that the match did not end with a great finish in front of a full house,” Speed said in a statement issued from the ICC's Dubai headquarters.
“That is something that would have acted as an appropriate conclusion to a series full of exciting and absorbing cricket.
“However it is not the role of the ICC to overturn the decisions of on-field umpires, the people who are enshrined in the Laws of Cricket as the sole judges of fair and unfair play, the ultimate arbiters of the game.
“In this instance the decision made by Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair to award the match to England was the correct one under the Laws.”
Speed then said there would be no change in the way Hair, or anyone else, was chosen to umpire a major match.
“It remains the role of the ICC and not our members to appoint umpires to Tests and One-day Internationals.
“The choices are made by the ICC's chief executive together with the chairman of the cricket committee, Sunil Gavaskar (the India batting great) following recommendations from the ICC's cricket department.
“The appointments are made without fear or favour and are based on the performances of the umpires in international matches.”—AFP
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