LONDON, Aug 25: English umpiring great Dickie Bird said revelations that Darrell Hair had requested 500,000 dollars in return for standing down as a Test official had left him feeling “shocked and stunned.”And Bird said the news of Hair's offer, disclosed by International Cricket Council (ICC) executive Malcolm Speed at a London news conference Friday, had the capacity to turn the issue into a bigger cricket controversy than England's infamous 'Bodyline' tour of Australia in 1932-33.

“I am absolutely shocked and stunned to hear what is happening and it all takes some believing,” Bird said.

“There have been controversies going back through the history of cricket and the closest would be 'Bodyline' in 1933 - but never anything like this.

“It is a very, very sad time for cricket and there is no doubt our great game has been badly hurt. But as in the past, I am sure it will eventually get over it.” Bird said Hair, who stood alongside him in the Englishman's 66th and final Test, against India at Lord's in 1996, would now find it difficult to ever umpire at the top level again even though the Australian has yet to be charged with any offence by the ICC.

“It was Darrell's decision to do what he did and it has undoubtedly created problems for him. The hierarchy must make the decision in due course but with that sort of money involved things are looking bad for him.” Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove declared that Pakistan had forfeited the fourth Test against England at The Oval on Sunday after the tourists twice refused to take the field in protest at the officials' decision, earlier in the day, to award five penalty runs to England because of alleged ball-tampering.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq faces ball-tampering and disrepute charges as a result of the affair.

But Bird said: “It is looking like the charges are going to be dropped. It is looking in favour of Pakistan now and it is my regret that it ever came to this in the first place.”—AFP