WASHINGTON, Aug 23: Pakistan Cricket Board chief Shaharyar M. Khan did not bother to register a written protest against umpire Darrell Hair during the England series in Pakistan last year despite an advice to this effect from former ICC president Ehsan Mani, it was revealed on Wednesday.

In an exclusive interview with the Voice of America, the former president of the ICC said: “It was during England’s tour of Pakistan last year when Darrell Hair was involved in a run out incident against Inzamam and I, as president of the ICC, advised Shaharyar to register a formal and proper written complaint to ICC against the Australian umpire so that I could ensure that he did not supervise Pakistan’s future matches. But neither Shaharyar nor any one else from the PCB ever made any written complaint and as ICC president, I could not take any action unilaterally.”

Mani repented that matters in The Oval Test were not handled properly and that resulted in creating a fiasco.

“Inzamam should have known the rules and should have challenged umpire Hair on the field rather than deciding not to go on the field in protest after tea session,” Mani said.

“In my opinion PCB and team officials handled things in wrong and most unappropriate manner that led to things getting out of control.”

Mani also pointed out that Pakistan lost the battle on another front as well when ICC issued the press release saying that “Subsequent to the umpires’ decision to award the match to England, a series of meetings took place to try and arrive at a situation that was in the best interests of the match.

“Following these meetings the umpires decided that, having made the decision to award the match to England, to change that decision would not be in keeping with the Laws of Cricket. The ICC backs the umpires’ decision of the umpires.” This statement, said Mani, indicated that PCB has accepted the umpires decision and now it was difficult for PCB to plead its case.”—Agencies