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Darrell Hair
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Darrell Bruce Hair (born 30 September 1952) is an Australian former Test match cricket umpire, from New South Wales.[1] He was on the International panel of umpires from 2002 to 2003, before he, along with fellow Australian Simon Taufel, and New Zealander Billy Bowden, was appointed to the ICC Elite umpire panel. After an ICC board meeting discussed his actions in a Test match between Pakistan and England in 2006 it was decided he should not umpire matches involving the Test playing nations. He was restored to the Elite Panel by the ICC on 12 March 2008 and stood in the England v New Zealand Tests at Old Trafford in May and Trent Bridge in June 2008.
Key Information
Career
[edit]Hair stood in his first Test match in January 1992, between Australia and India in Adelaide. In 1994 the International Cricket Council (ICC) introduced a policy of appointing one umpire to each Test match from a non-participating country, and since 2002 both umpires have been appointed from non-participating nations. After 2002, the majority of Hair's Test matches were played outside Australia and did not involve Australia, he also was the umpire for the test match between the West Indies and England in which Brian Lara scored 400 not out. His last Test match involving Australia was against South Africa at Melbourne on 26 to 29 December 2001. Hair's on-field colleague was West Indian umpire Eddie Nicholls.
At the local level, Hair began his career playing in Orange and Molong and moved to Sydney in 1972 where he played with the Mosman and North Sydney clubs in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition, as a right-arm fast-medium bowler.
In a 1995 match between Australia and Sri Lanka in Melbourne, he no-balled Muttiah Muralitharan seven times in three overs for throwing.[2] It was the first time Muralitharan had been called in 22 Tests, although the ICC later said that umpires had expressed doubts about his legitimacy for more than two years.[3] In Tests, Muralitharan was found to exceed the then 5 degree limit for spin bowlers, but his unusual action was found to be partially the result of a congenital elbow deformity[4] and after further review, the ICC raised the elbow extension limit to 15 degrees for all bowlers. In 1999 Hair was found guilty by the ICC of bringing the game into disrepute after he described Muralitharan's action as "diabolical".[5] Hair later received death threats that referenced the throwing incident and as a result the ICC decreed that he would not officiate any of Sri Lanka's matches at the 1999 World Cup.[5]
2006 ball tampering incident
[edit]On the fourth day of the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval, Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove ruled that the Pakistani team had been involved in ball tampering. They awarded five penalty runs to England and offered them a replacement ball. In protest the Pakistani players refused to take the field after the tea break.[6] After 30 minutes the umpires removed the bails, declared England winners by forfeiture. The Pakistani team took the field 25 minutes later, but the umpires stated that the game had ended the moment the bails were removed. The Test was abandoned and the match was awarded to England.[7] The ICC, ECB and PCB later affirmed that the decision to award the match to England was in accordance with the Laws of Cricket.[8] Inzamam was acquitted of ball tampering, but punished for the events leading up to the forfeit.[9][10][11]
After the ensuing controversy Hair wrote an e-mail to the ICC saying that he would resign from the ICC Elite Umpire Panel in return for a non-negotiable one-off payment of US$500,000 directly into his bank account to cover the loss of future earnings.[12] Hair subsequently revoked the offer[13] said that he never considered retirement.[14] The ICC announced that Hair would not be umpiring at the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy due to security concerns[15] and on 4 November 2006, Hair was banned from officiating in international matches by the ICC following a two-day meeting.[16] A leaked ICC report showed that before the Oval incident, Hair was ranked the second-best umpire overall and number one in decision-making.[17]
In February 2007 Hair announced he was suing the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board on grounds of racial discrimination, saying he was made a scapegoat as no action was taken against Billy Doctrove.[18] On 9 October 2007, Hair dropped his discrimination case. The ICC said Hair would undergo a development programme over the next six months seemingly with the goal to place him back into top level matches. During this six-month period, he continued to officiate in second tier ICC associate matches. The ICC restored Hair to the Elite Umpiring Panel on 12 March 2008.[19] On 22 August 2008 Hair handed in his resignation to the ICC in order to take up a coaching role.[20] He had been an international umpire for 16 years.
Legal issues
[edit]On 23 October 2017, Hair pleaded guilty to one charge of embezzlement and one charge of stealing in the Orange Local Court.[21] The offences were committed as a result of a gambling addiction, for which Hair had subsequently sought professional counselling, and involved a total of Au$9005.75 (AUD). Given his early guilty plea, in addition to the fact that he had repaid the stolen money, Hair was sentenced to an 18-month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded.[22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Darrell Hair". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ Britten, Nick (27 August 2006). "Hair is a man who stands his ground". The Age. Melbourne.
- ^ "The Sri Lankans in Australia, 1995-96". Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. 1997. Retrieved 23 January 2013 – via ESPNcricinfo.
- ^ Lloyd DG; Alderson J; Elliott BC (December 2000). "An upper limb kinematic model for the examination of cricket bowling: a case study of Mutiah Muralitharan". J. Sports Sci. 18: 975–82. doi:10.1080/026404100446775. PMID 11138987.
- ^ a b "Umpire 'received death threats'". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 12 May 1999.
- ^ "Pakistan muzzled in tampering row". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 4 September 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "As the chaos unfolded". ESPNcricinfo. 20 August 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "Test farce amid tampering fracas". The Sydney Morning Herald. Reuters. 21 August 2006.
- ^ "Ranjan Mudagalle's decision in full". ESPNcricinfo. 28 September 2006. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "'Inzamam cleared of ball tampering'". ESPNcricinfo. 28 September 2006.
- ^ "'Disrepute ban for skipper Inzamam'". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 September 2006.
- ^ "Umpire offered to resign for cash". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 25 August 2006. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ "Full transcript of emails". ESPNcricinfo. 25 August 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "Hair never considered retirement". ESPNcricinfo. 11 January 2008. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
- ^ "Hair out of Champions Trophy'". DNA Sport. 28 September 2006.
- ^ Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (4 November 2006). "Hair banned from officiating in internationals". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 5 November 2006.
- ^ "Hair praised by ICC immediately before being sacked". ESPNcricinfo. 13 November 2006. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "Hair to sue cricket authorities". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 7 February 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2007.
- ^ "Hair restored as ICC elite umpire". BBC News. British Broadcasting Corporation. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 12 March 2008.
- ^ "Hair quits to focus on coaching". ESPNcricinfo. 22 August 2008. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ "Umpire Hair pleads guilty". Herald Sun. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
- ^ Gardiner, Stephanie. "Hair admits to stealing cash". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
Bibliography
[edit]- Hair, Darrell (1998) Decision Maker: An Umpire's Story Random House, Australia. ISBN 0-09-183731-6
- Hair, Darrell (2011) In The Best Interests Of The Game Harper Sports. ISBN 9780732292881
External links
[edit]- Darrell Hair at ESPNcricinfo
- ICC Umpires and Referees at the Wayback Machine (archived 2 March 2007)
Darrell Hair
View on GrokipediaEarly Life and Background
Birth and Family
Darrell Bruce Hair was born on 30 September 1952 in Mudgee, a rural town in New South Wales, Australia.[1][8] Mudgee, located in the Central West region, exemplifies the self-reliant ethos of inland Australian communities during the mid-20th century, though specific details of Hair's immediate family, including parents or siblings, remain sparsely documented in public records.[9] Hair relocated from Mudgee to the nearby city of Orange at a young age, immersing himself in the working-class environment typical of regional New South Wales, where economic opportunities were tied to agriculture and local trades.[9] This formative period in rural and semi-rural settings likely instilled values of discipline and straightforwardness, attributes later associated with his persona, though biographical sources provide no direct accounts from family members to substantiate personal influences.[8]Entry into Cricket
Darrell Hair began his involvement in cricket as a player in regional New South Wales, initially representing clubs in Orange and Molong before relocating to Sydney in 1972 to pursue greater opportunities in the sport.[10] There, he competed as a right-arm fast-medium bowler primarily for North Sydney and Mosman clubs in the competitive Sydney grade cricket competition, where he demonstrated capability for first-grade selection but achieved no notable distinction at higher levels.[1][8][11] A knee injury ultimately curtailed Hair's playing career in the late 1970s or early 1980s, preventing progression to professional ranks and prompting a shift toward umpiring as a means to sustain his engagement with cricket despite physical limitations.[1][12] He passed his umpiring accreditation examination in 1985, commencing officiating in local and grade-level matches across New South Wales.[13] These early experiences provided foundational technical proficiency in rule interpretation and match management, honing skills through consistent exposure to domestic fixtures.[13]Professional Umpiring Career
Domestic Debut and Progression
Darrell Hair made his debut as a first-class umpire during the 1988-89 Australian domestic cricket season, officiating matches in the Sheffield Shield competition.[7][13] This initial foray into professional umpiring followed his passing of the umpiring examination in 1985, after which he progressed through grade-level officiating in New South Wales.[13] Hair's early performances earned recognition for precise and consistent decision-making, which led to regular assignments across Australian domestic circuits, including the Sheffield Shield and one-day competitions.[14] His competence ensured steady advancement without reliance on preferential treatment, as he officiated an increasing number of high-profile state matches over the subsequent seasons. By the early 1990s, this reliability had positioned him for elevation to the international panel after approximately three years of domestic experience.[8] Throughout his domestic tenure, Hair cultivated a reputation for uncompromising adherence to cricket's laws, applying obscure regulations when warranted and prioritizing empirical judgment over player appeals.[14] This approach garnered respect among peers and administrators in Australian cricket for upholding game integrity, though it occasionally drew criticism from players unaccustomed to such rigor in routine fixtures.[15]International Debut and Key Matches
Hair made his One Day International umpiring debut in 1991 during the Benson & Hedges World Series, officiating the match between India and Australia.[1] His Test debut followed on January 25, 1992, in the match between Australia and India at Adelaide Oval.[16] These early assignments marked his rapid elevation to the international panel after just three years of first-class umpiring experience.[8] Throughout his career, Hair officiated 78 Test matches, 141 ODIs, and 6 T20Is between 1991 and 2008, including fixtures at neutral venues as part of ICC protocols for high-profile series and tournaments.[7] He stood in numerous bilateral encounters involving top teams, such as Ashes series and transcontinental tours, demonstrating versatility in handling diverse playing conditions and competitive pressures.[1] Prior to 2006, ICC performance evaluations, based on video-reviewed decisions, ranked Hair as the top umpire for accuracy and second overall among peers, with a reported success rate exceeding 95%.[17][3] This recognition underscored his competence in routine high-stakes games, where consistent application of laws contributed to his selection for demanding assignments.[13]Enforcement of Rules and Notable Decisions
Calls on Bowling Actions
Darrell Hair's umpiring decisions on illegal bowling actions exemplified strict adherence to cricket's laws prohibiting arm straightening beyond permissible limits, which in the mid-1990s required near-total elbow flexion during delivery.[18] His most prominent intervention occurred during the Boxing Day Test between Australia and Sri Lanka at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on December 26, 1995, where he no-balled off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan seven times for throwing on the second day of the match.[19] These calls, all from the bowler's right arm, were based on Hair's judgment that Muralitharan's elbow flexion visibly exceeded the era's zero-tolerance threshold for extension, prompting immediate withdrawal of the bowler from bowling by Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga amid crowd protests.[20] Hair defended his actions post-match, asserting that refraining from the calls would constitute a failure to uphold his responsibilities as an umpire, emphasizing empirical observation over external pressures.[19] Subsequent biomechanical assessments of Muralitharan's action, including three-dimensional joint angle analyses, revealed consistent elbow flexion patterns that aligned with the visual cues prompting Hair's decisions, as the bowler's arm extended sufficiently during release to breach contemporaneous ICC guidelines despite later refinements allowing up to 5 degrees of extension.[21] These findings underscored the validity of on-field judgments rooted in rule-based scrutiny rather than subjective allowances for technique.[22] In the broader 1990s context, Hair's interventions highlighted systemic enforcement lapses in addressing suspect actions, particularly those employed by subcontinental bowlers who adapted hyperextended or flexed deliveries to generate spin or swing, often evading consistent no-ball rulings due to interpretive leniency.[18] The era's throwing controversies, intensified by cases like Muralitharan's, exposed how uneven application of laws permitted actions that prioritized efficacy over compliance, with Hair's principled stance—later echoed in his criticism of delayed ICC reforms—exposing gaps exploited through unconventional biomechanics rather than rigorous pre-emptive testing. His calls prompted debates that eventually led to standardized biomechanical protocols, affirming the necessity of umpires' real-time rule enforcement to maintain the game's integrity.[18]Ball Tampering and Forfeiture Incidents
Darrell Hair demonstrated a rigorous approach to monitoring ball condition throughout his umpiring career, frequently inspecting the ball for signs of deliberate alteration during international matches. In instances prior to 2006, such as during Tests involving subcontinental teams, Hair noted irregularities in ball wear but withheld penalties absent conclusive evidence of tampering, prioritizing observable physical discrepancies over unsubstantiated claims.[23] The most prominent application of this scrutiny occurred during the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval on August 20, 2006. At the conclusion of the 56th over in Pakistan's second innings, Hair, alongside co-umpire Billy Doctrove, examined the ball and identified deliberate tampering, evidenced by deep scratches concentrated on one hemisphere inconsistent with natural deterioration from play. Doctrove independently corroborated the findings during the joint inspection, leading Hair to replace the ball and award England five penalty runs under the Laws of Cricket provisions for unfair alteration of playing equipment.[24][25] When the Pakistan team failed to return to the field after the tea interval, refusing to resume play, Hair applied Law 21.3, which stipulates forfeiture for a side that, in the umpires' judgment, declines to continue without valid cause after due warning. This marked the first such forfeiture in Test cricket history, with Hair removing the bails at approximately 6:10 PM local time to formalize England's victory by default.[26][27]Conflicts with Cricket Authorities
2006 Oval Test Aftermath
Following the umpires' decision to award five penalty runs to England for suspected ball tampering on 20 August 2006, the Pakistani team staged a protest by refusing to resume play after the tea interval on the fourth day of the Test match at The Oval. Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove waited approximately two hours before declaring the match forfeited to England at 18:00 BST, marking the first such forfeiture in Test cricket history.[28] Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq immediately appealed the ball-tampering charge under ICC procedures, prompting a Code of Conduct hearing chaired by match referee Ranjan Madugalle. On 28 September 2006, Madugalle ruled Inzamam not guilty of tampering pursuant to clause 2.9 of the ICC Code but guilty of bringing the game into disrepute through the team's boycott, imposing a ban of four One Day International matches.[29][30] This verdict upheld the original penalty runs—based solely on the umpires' inspection of the ball's deteriorated condition under Law 42.3, which requires no forensic evidence—but effectively undermined the tampering finding without vacating the sanction, imposing minimal collective repercussions on Pakistan despite their role in abandoning the match.[24] In response to the perceived lack of institutional backing for umpires, Hair emailed ICC Umpires' Manager Doug Cowie on 22 August 2006, proposing his resignation from the Elite Umpires Panel in exchange for a one-time US$500,000 payment into his account by 31 August, arguing that the handling of the incident demonstrated unequal accountability favoring teams over officials.[31][32] Hair retracted the offer the following day, apologized for the phrasing, and clarified it stemmed from frustration over the ICC's reluctance to enforce rules consistently, but the leaked correspondence drew accusations of opportunism and intensified scrutiny on him. The ICC promptly stood Hair down from the 2006 Champions Trophy and, by November 2006, removed him from the Elite Panel amid reported pressure from Asian full-member boards, prioritizing diplomatic relations over defending the umpires' authority.[33][34] Media narratives largely framed the dispute as a cultural misunderstanding or implied bias by Hair, with Pakistani officials decrying the decision as disrespectful despite its grounding in empirical observation of the ball's unjustifiable wear after 56 overs.[35] Hair rebutted racism claims, noting his personal background including proximity to Indigenous Australian communities, but such defenses received limited traction amid broader amplification of subcontinental grievances in international coverage.[35] This immediate aftermath revealed cricket governance's deference to influential national boards, subordinating rule-based adjudication to avoid escalating bilateral tensions.[34]Suspension, Resignation, and Reinstatement
In the aftermath of the forfeited England-Pakistan Test at The Oval on August 20, 2006, the International Cricket Council (ICC) removed Darrell Hair from its Elite Panel of Umpires on November 4, 2006, effectively barring him from officiating any international matches until he agreed to participate in a rehabilitation program addressing his conduct.[36][37] This action followed intense lobbying from the Pakistan Cricket Board, which demanded Hair's ouster, and aligned with broader pressures from Asian cricket boards wary of his stringent rule enforcement.[34] Hair initially declined the program, instead lodging a racial discrimination claim against the ICC at a London employment tribunal in October 2006, alleging bias in the handling of the Oval incident influenced by national boards.[38] Hair withdrew his discrimination claim on October 9, 2007, and completed the mandated six-month rehabilitation process, which the ICC described as evaluating his "attitude and approach" to umpiring.[39] On March 12, 2008, the ICC reinstated him to the Elite Panel, citing his overall competence as an umpire despite ongoing concerns about his interpersonal style, with sources indicating the decision was partly driven by potential legal liabilities from the unresolved claim.[4] Post-reinstatement, however, Hair received only selective assignments, limited to two Test matches in the England-New Zealand series at Old Trafford (May 2008) and Trent Bridge (June 2008), excluding any involving Pakistan or India amid sensitivities from subcontinental boards.[40] These limited opportunities fueled perceptions within Hair's circle of deliberate marginalization by ICC management, prioritizing diplomatic relations with powerful national boards over consistent deployment of qualified officials. On August 22, 2008, Hair resigned from the Elite Panel after less than five months back, accepting the role of executive officer for the New South Wales Umpires and Scorers Association to focus on coaching and development domestically.[41][39] The ICC's handling underscored tensions between upholding umpiring standards and accommodating geopolitical influences in cricket governance, as Hair's removal and cautious reinstatement reflected concessions to boards that viewed his decisions as confrontational rather than procedural.[42]Legal and Post-Career Developments
Lawsuit Against ICC
In February 2007, Darrell Hair initiated legal proceedings against the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), alleging racial discrimination in his removal from the ICC's elite umpires panel following the 2006 Oval Test controversy.[43][44] Hair contended that the ICC's decision to exclude him stemmed from unequal treatment compared to other umpires, such as Billy Doctrove, who faced lighter consequences for similar errors in match forfeitures, and pointed to institutional pressures from subcontinental cricket boards that led to dropped tampering charges against Pakistani players despite on-field findings of ball alteration.[45] He argued that his impartial enforcement of rules—resulting in Pakistan's forfeiture and subsequent penalties like Inzamam-ul-Haq's four-match ban for bringing the game into disrepute—was overridden by political influences favoring certain national boards, effectively discriminating against him as an Australian official upholding standards.[46] During tribunal hearings in London, Hair testified that the ICC's actions reflected a broader pattern of leniency toward players from influential regions, contrasting with the severe repercussions he faced, including loss of elite status until March 2008, and emphasized his intent to expose these disparities to affirm the truth of the Oval incident's handling.[47] The ICC countered by accusing Hair of attempting to blackmail them into a financial settlement and defended the removal as a loss of confidence in his judgment, without conceding bias, while noting that Pakistan's tampering accusations were not upheld beyond disrepute charges.[48][46] On October 9, 2007, Hair unconditionally withdrew his racial discrimination allegations against the ICC board, management, and staff, leading to an out-of-court settlement with undisclosed financial terms but no explicit admission of wrongdoing by the ICC.[46][45] The agreement included a six-month rehabilitation program under ICC supervision, with a review for his potential return to Test and One Day International umpiring scheduled for March 2008, signaling procedural accommodations amid the case's collapse after over a week of evidence presentation.[45][49] ICC President Ray Mali described the resolution as satisfactory, having treated the claims with gravity, though observers noted it highlighted ongoing tensions over umpiring impartiality versus administrative politics.[46]Personal Legal Matters and Later Roles
In October 2017, Darrell Hair pleaded guilty in Orange Local Court to one count of embezzlement and one count of stealing after admitting to taking $9,005.75 from the cash register of a liquor store he managed in Orange, New South Wales, between February 25 and April 28 that year.[50][51] He was dismissed from the position in May 2017 following the discovery of CCTV footage showing him pocketing the money, which he attributed to gambling debts.[50][52] The court imposed an 18-month good behaviour bond without requiring jail time.[53][54] Following his international umpiring career, Hair resigned from the International Cricket Council in August 2008 to pursue coaching and administrative roles within New South Wales cricket.[55] He served as executive officer of the NSW Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association, a position he held until approximately 2011, during which he faced internal challenges including a no-confidence vote related to staff dismissals.[56][57] Subsequently, Hair engaged in umpire coaching for Sydney Grade and Country NSW cricket competitions, emphasizing technical aspects such as concentration and communication skills for handling interpersonal dynamics on the field.[58] He also took on the role of managing director at a management consulting firm, Darrell Hair Associates, continuing contributions to professional development in cricket officiating standards.[58]Umpiring Record and Assessments
Statistical Overview
Darrell Hair officiated 78 Test matches from January 25, 1992, to June 8, 2008.[16][6] He stood in 139 One Day Internationals spanning December 1991 to July 2007.[6][59] Additionally, Hair umpired 6 Twenty20 Internationals, all in 2008.[6] His international umpiring volume concentrated in the 1990s and 2000s, with the bulk of Test assignments occurring post-1992 debut against India at Adelaide and peaking through the early 2000s before tapering after 2006 controversies.[16] ODI duties followed a similar pattern, starting with India versus West Indies at Adelaide in December 1991 and accumulating steadily until a decline in later years.[6]| Format | Matches | Active Years |
|---|---|---|
| Tests | 78 | 1992–2008 |
| ODIs | 139 | 1991–2007 |
| T20Is | 6 | 2008 |
