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Death threats for controversial umpire in Murali’s home town?
Darrell bolts like a hare
By Marlon Fernandopulle
ICC elite panel umpire Darrell Hair who was set to umpire his first test in Sri Lanka in Kandy this week has pulled out of the game in the eleventh hour without any valid reason as speculation mounted that the controversial umpire who called Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in 1995 has received death threats.

Hair who officiated in the 3rd test between India and England in Mumbai was expected in the island earlier this week but is believed to have suddenly decided against officiating at the second test match and informed the ICC of his inability. The ICC’s umpires and referees manager Doug Cowie is reported to have verbally informed SLC’s Sudath Pasqual of the change, and instead Steve Davis who officiated in the first test will officiate in Hairs place. However the ICC website continues to carry that Darrell Hair is the officiating umpires. The ICC has not given any reasons for the change. When the Sunday Times asked a top official of SLC if Hair’s withdrawal was due to receiving death threats the official was quick to reply saying ‘yes, that may be the reason’.

The Sunday Times also contacted the ICC headquarters in Dubai for a comment on the sudden withdrawal of Darrell Hair and was sent the following reply by one of its officials Jon Long.

‘It happens from time to time that the umpires provisionally appointed to stand in a series do not end up standing in the matches that they were provisionally allocated. These changes are not unusual and there are enough excellent umpires in the world to ensure that the same high standards are maintained’.

Cricket fans in Sri Lanka and the world over were outraged after Darrell Hair no balled Muralitharan for throwing in a Boxing Day test match in 1995 at the Melbourne Cricket ground. Four years later Hair labelled Muralitharan’s action as ‘diabolical’ in his autobiography to add fuel to the fire.
Despite all the accusations the champion off spinner continued to accumulate wickets in both forms of the game and only recently picked up his 600th test wicket and his 1000th overall wicket. To prove his detractors wrong Murali has also done extensive laboratory and field tests and on an all instances come out with a clean sheet.

After Hairs’ controversial call, the Australian umpire did not stand in any Lankan games until recently when he officiated in all four ODI s between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in January this year. Following this series Hair was also present in Sri Lanka in February when he was appointed as the ICC Umpires and Referees Manager at the recently concluded ICC under 19 World Cup. During that period Hair also conducted a series of workshops and seminars for Sri Lankan umpires and was reported to have enjoyed his short stay in Sri Lanka.

It is only after his satisfactory stay in Sri Lanka that Hair would have initially accepted a test match appointment. However the Australian umpire may have had his second thoughts after receiving alleged death threats and preferred to keep away from walking into Muttiah Muralitharan hometown.

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