Rameez Raja says Hair's umpiring will harm cricket

Lahore, Mar 22 : After holding the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) weakness at international level responsible for Australian umpire Darrel Hair's reinstatement, former Pakistan cricket team captain Rameez Raja has said that Hair's umpiring would be harmful for cricket.

Raja said the PCB should have boycotted the International Cricket Council (ICC) meeting in Dubai which Hair was given permission to umpire again.

He further said the ICC took the decision to avoid a court case.

The ICC must reveal how Hair's communication has improved since his dumping from its elite panel of umpires in November 2006 for his role in forfeiting the Oval Test match three months earlier in England's favour, Raja said. Hair's decision led to Pakistan becoming the first team to forfeit a Test after it refused to return to the field in protest at being penalised for alleged ball tampering and for England being awarded five extra runs.

ANI