JEDDAH, 29 September 2006 — Cricketing circles yesterday welcomed the dismissal of ball-tampering charge against Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq by the International Cricket Council, and termed as “unjust” the four-ODIs (One-Day International) ban imposed on him for “bringing the game into disrepute.”
Pakistan were deemed to have forfeited the fourth Test against England at the Oval last month after they refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day following a five-run penalty for alleged ball tampering. The protest followed a decision by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove to change the ball and penalize the team.
A cross-section of cricketers and cricket lovers interviewed by Arab News said the ball-tampering charge was “baseless” as was widely believed. “Following the outcome, the umpire’s (Darrell Hair) action should now be probed,” one of them said.
“When there is an uncalled for action, there is bound to be a reaction and if Inzamam strongly reacted to the ball-tampering charge by the umpire it should be taken in the normal course,” said Shahid Haider, an avid cricket fan and senior executive in a major advertising firm.
Inzamam had refused to bring his side back onto the field and the match was awarded to England by default — a first in the history of international cricket.
“There is nothing as neutral umpiring,” he said referring to the practice of appointing umpires from third countries in a Test or an ODI. “In reality, umpires should act neutrally wherever they come from,” Haider said, adding that the umpires should also be made accountable for their decisions and their decisions challengeable.
“The outcome of the ball tampering issue is as I expected,” said Aijaz Khan, secretary of Jeddah Cricket League (JCL). “I knew there would be disciplinary action from the ICC as the world body wants to maintain its superiority. The Pakistanis in this case are innocent in ball tampering. What is evident is that Asian teams are getting punished by the ICC, which is dominated by Westerners,” Khan said. “Inzamam is a thorough gentleman and the ban imposed on him is totally unjust and unfair,” he said.
“The ball-tampering charge was wrong, as it is not proved. The outcome shows that Darryl Hair was wrong. Subcontinent teams have always had to face such humiliations from the “so called neutral umpires,” who did not spare even cricketing greats like Sri Lanka’s Muthia Muralitharan and India’s Sachin Tendulkar,” said Sikander Farooqui, president of Eastern Province Cricket Association. In a recent ODI in Kuala Lumpur, Australian Captain Ricky Ponting reacted when the umpire reversed his own decision related to Tendulkar’s dismissal, he said and spoke against the ban imposed on Inzamam.
