ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: Pakistan's former Test cricketers were shocked on Friday after the International Cricket Council's chief executive Malcolm Speed revealed that umpire Darrell Hair had offered to resign if the ICC paid the Australian umpire US$500,000 (euro391,790).

''It's shocking news to me, when I saw the press conference of Speed live on television,'' said former Test captain Intikhab Alam. ''I am simply in shock.''

Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove ruled that Pakistan illegally interfered with the ball on Sunday in the final Test against England at The Oval, and imposed a five-run penalty. The visitors protested by not coming out after the tea break, and the Test was awarded to England, which won the series 3-0.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was charged with ball-tampering and for bringing the game into disrepute, sparking fears that Pakistan would withdraw from the coming five-match one-day series.

''The ICC cannot dish out money like that. May be Hair is under a lot of pressure and he thought it's better to resign,'' Alam said.

An outspoken former test paceman, Sarfraz Nawaz, raised doubts as to whether Hair had evidence against Inzamam. ''Hair must have thought that if he failed to provide an evidence against Inzamam, he could be barred for life from officiating in international matches,'' Nawaz said. Nawaz said that now it would be better for Hair to come out in public and apologize, not only to Pakistan cricketers, but to the whole Pakistan nation.

''He should reverse all his three decisions — penalizing Pakistan with five runs, raising doubts over Pakistan players that they tampered with the cricket ball and lastly the result of the fourth test should be declared as a draw,'' Nawaz said.

''Hair is also planning to write book, and I think he is just gathering some more crispy material to make his book sell like hot cakes,'' Nawaz said.

Javed Miandad, who captained and coached the national team, was surprised that ICC made Hair's letter public and termed the Australian umpire's demand as ''worst thing to happen in umpiring history.''

''It was supposed to be a confidential letter that Hair wrote to the ICC. I simply failed to understand why Speed made it public,'' Miandad said.

''If ICC pays Hair the money, it will set a very bad precedent because other umpires will take a lead from it and say 'OK, I am leaving, give me money,' and that's not good for cricket.

''It's a worst thing that has happened in umpiring history, and now Hair should be asked if he is guilty of raising doubts on Pakistan players?''

Former official of the Pakistan Cricket Board Arif Abbasi told a private television channel that Hair's demand of money clearly showed that he had no motive of conducting the match fairly.

''It makes no sense. On one hand he is saying that Pakistan players were guilty of ball tampering, and now he is saying that he is resigning if he is paid,'' Abbasi told Geo Television.

''I think his objective was to just make money and nothing else,'' he added.—AP