'Chucking' umpire stood down over stress condition

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced Tuesday they would urgently review the medical condition of Western Australian umpire Ross Emerson, 44, who sparked a furore at Adelaide Oval Saturday when he called Sri Lankan off-spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing.

ACB chairman Denis Rogers said Emerson had failed to tell the board of the stress condition which led him to take leave from his job at the Western Australian Ministry of Fair Trading for the past eight weeks.

But Rogers denied there was a link between Emerson's condition and the indefinite adjournment of a hearing in Adelaide earlier Tuesday into misconduct charges against Sri Lankan captain Arjuna Ranatunga.

Ranatunga faced a two-hour code of conduct hearing before match referee Peter Van der Merwe, of South Africa, on charges arising from Saturday's game against England when Ranatunga argued heatedly with Emerson, poked a finger at him and halted play for 12 minutes following the chucking call.

``I have not received any formal or informal request from them (Sri Lankans, about Emerson) even though I have spoken extensively to their president over the last few days,'' Rogers said.

``There may well be something in the pipeline, but that has got nothing whatever to do with the decision that has been made.''

However, when asked why the hearing was adjourned, Van der Merwe told Channel Nine TV station: ``Certain points were raised by Mr Ranatunga's legal representatives and I thought that was the best thing to do.''

Sources said the hearing would probably be in Sydney, next week.

Rogers said the ACB had a stringent duty of care to minimise the risk of injury or illness to their employees.

While Emerson had complied with the requirement to provide a full medical clearance last September, he had not told the board of his subsequent stress-related condition when the appointments for international matches were made in early December.

``Had the ACB been aware of this, they would have initiated a comprehensive review of umpire Emerson's condition, prior to considering his appointments as an international umpire,'' Rogers said.

``That review will now take place. The ACB are entitled to, and required to, satisfy themselves and the cricket public that his admitted medical condition does not impact on his ability to umpire international cricket matches.''

Ministry of Fair Trading chief executive, Pat Walker, shed some light on this when he told Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio: ``Mr Emerson's doctor, while indicating he is not able to work, has indicated he believes that cricket umpiring is within his present capabilities.''

Rogers said Emerson would have been stood down even if he had not called Muralitharan on Saturday, but refused to comment when asked whether Emerson's condition had affected his decision-making.

He said Emerson, who flew back home to Perth Tuesday on the same plane as the Sri Lankans but made no comment to waiting journalists, was bitterly disappointed about being stood down.

``Mr Emerson wishes to resume umpiring as soon as possible and emphasises his medical advice about his stress condition indicates umpiring cricket matches is within his capabilities,'' Rogers said.

Emerson will be replaced by Peter Parker for Friday's England-Sri Lanka match, while Steve Davis will take over as third umpire for Sunday's game between Australia and Sri Lanka.