Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Hair bares his heart out in hearing

October 03, 2007 17:09 IST

Australian umpire Darrell Hair told an Employment Tribunal in London that the International Cricket Council's decision to bar him from officiating in Tests and One-Day Internationals has left a big hole in his pocket and heart.

Hair, who has sued the ICC for sacking him and yielding to "racially discriminatory pressure" from the Asian bloc, told the hearing that he would have earned about US $90,000-100,000 in 2007 had he umpired his quota of Tests and ODIs.

"My projected earnings from fees in ICC associate matches in this year would now appear to be a maximum of 30,000 US dollars," he said.

He said the loss had prompted him to search for another job but his efforts did not bear fruit.

"Since returning to Australia I have been trying to find permanent employment without success. I have applied for positions at the Australian Rugby League and with a charity as a fund-raising manager, but I have been unsuccessful on each occasion," he said.

Hair said the ICC's decision to sack him came as a trauma for his entire family.

"I feel devastated and let down by the ICC. Since August 20, 2006 (the day of the final Test at the Oval) no one from ICC has shown any concern for my welfare or for the welfare of my family.

"My family has suffered the pain of reading headlines such as 'disgraced former umpire' and 'sacked former umpire' and I have found it difficult to cope with daily life in the knowledge that I have not been given a reasonable opportunity to defend myself.

"I was at a loss to understand how my career could possibly be effectively ended unless it was by a racially motivated and racially discriminated process," Hair said.

"I asked Malcolm Speed if it could possibly be performance related but he agreed that my performances since joining the elite panel had been generally very good and I had been continually ranked in the top three umpires.

Hair said he knew that ICC would not renew his contract.

Amid the Oval controversy that followed, Hair offered to resign in return for US $500,000.

He denied an allegation by the Pakistan Cricket Board that the offer compromised his position or constituted a "secret payment".

"I was, to my mind, seeking some sort of settlement. There was nothing secretive. But I expected confidentiality."

Cross-examining Hair, ICC barrister Michael Beloff QC said the Australian's case was based on suspicion.

"I shall put it to the tribunal that you're swinging about wildly, seeking to make allegations against anyone you can without anything more than suspicion," Beloff said.

Beloff also asked Hair whether it was right to call the action of the Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, as 'dibolical' as mentioned in his autobiography.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.