The Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) yesterday protested against Hair's remarks on Muralitharan's bowling action. ``We are deeply disturbed by the remarks made by Darrel Hair on Muthiah Muralitharan. As far as we are concerned the matter over Muralitharan's bowling is resolved.
By making such statements Hair has violated the ICC code of conduct, which prevents any official or player from making any comments,'' Mr Thilanga Sumathipala, BCCSL president, said.
BCCSL has urged the ICC to take disciplinary action against the errant umpire. ``We are making a protest to the ICC to take stock of the situation and penalise the umpire under clause 8,'' Mr. Sumathipala said, adding that he had contacted his Australian counterpart, Mr Dennis Rogers, to convey the feelings of the BCCSL.
BCCSL has alleged that Hair was not an impartial umpire because he had not objected to the bowling actions of Kumara Dharmasena and Ruwan Kalpage, whose names he has mentioned in his latest remarks. ``Hair says that he did not call Dharmasena and Kalpage though he suspected their action because he feared a backlash during Australia's tour to Sri Lanka for the World Cup 1996. This is utter rubbish,'' a senior BCCSL official told Dawn.
Hair had called Muralitharan for throwing seven times in a three-over spell in the second Test against Australia at Melbourne in 1995. However, ICC experts who studied Muralitharan's action and gave him a clean chit.
The Sri Lankan newspapers have also vehemently criticised Hair for his comments. The Australian umpire has reportedly said in his autobiography released early this week, that he would again call Muralitharan for throwing if the bowler does not sort out his action. The Sri Lankan team is scheduled to tour Australia in January 1999.
The Sri Lankan newspapers have claimed that Hair has made controversial remarks in his books in a bid to make it a bestseller. ``Hair, who is after all calling Muralitharan a chucker, is now trying to sell his book to make money out of the game. He should be sent scurrying like a hare. Hair must have had an eye on his autobiography when he came out with these comments. He probably thinks his book would not be a bestseller. So, to add spice in an attempt to sell it he has resorted to making these controversial comments, which are by any standards unacceptable,'' Daily News charged.
Sri Lanka and Australia have been at loggerheads since the 1995 tour. Fearing reprisal, observers say, the Australian team refused to play World Cup matches in Sri Lanka on the pretext that Colombo was unsafe. The World Cup organisers had then sent a joint team of Pakistani and Indian players to play a friendship match against the Sri Lankan side in an expression of solidarity.