By IANS
Sydney : Former Australian umpire Darrel Hair, who has seen more than his share of controversies, came out in support of Steve Bucknor and said the International Cricket Council (ICC) should embrace an umpiring referral system to relieve pressure on the game’s decision-makers, the Australian media reported.
“I feel for Steve … it’s probably best for him to stand down and relieve the pressure a little bit,” Hair was quoted as saying by The Age.
Hair has been in a similar situation in which Bucknor is now.
Hair was barred from officiating in Test matches after the forfeited Oval Test between England and Pakistan in 2006 August. Hair and Billy Doctrove awarded England a five-run penalty because they believed the ball had been ‘interfered’ with. The Pakistan team refused to resume play after the tea interval in protest against the decision, leading to the first forfeiture in Test cricket.
ICC adjudicator Ranjan Madugalle later cleared Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq of ball-tampering charges.
If Bucknor is removed from the elite panel, Hair could conceivably fill the breach. The Australian umpire has completed a management course at the University of New South Wales as part of a deal struck with the ICC after a highly publicised legal battle. His case is up for review by the council in March.
“The desire to come back is strong,” Hair said. “I am still working with the ICC at the associate level, and I will be working as an umpiring assessor at the youth World Cup, but I would love to make it back to the top level again.”
Hair was adamant that the ICC should use the lessons from the second Test in Sydney to investigate ways to relieve the pressure on umpires. He was supportive of a referral system, in which teams are allowed a certain number of “challenges” to umpiring decisions per innings. The system will be tested at the Champions Trophy in Pakistan later this year.
“There were a few unfortunate decisions made, and I know for a fact that the people involved would not have enjoyed making such errors,” he said. “But the fact is those mistakes have been made, and rather than dwell on the negative, there is an opportunity to assess the situation and find the best ways forward.
“A couple of years ago I would have been against a challenge system, but the more I look at it, it has merit.”
Bucknor was removed by the ICC from the third Test between India and Australia in Perth following a number of wrong decisions by the West Indian umpire.