SHARJAH, United Arab Emirates (AFP)**
Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar faces a critical five days when his team takes on injury-hit West Indies in the second Test starting on Thursday (Feb 7).
Shoaib, whose action has been reported by umpires and match referees twice in the last three years, escaped unscathed during the first Test which ended at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday. Shoaib, dubbed the “Rawalpindi Express”, was hailed by team-mates and rivals alike during a blistering 5 for 24 spell that gave Pakistan a resounding win by 170 runs and earned him the Man of the Match award from match referee Mike Denness.
The second Test, however, could be different as Shoaib will be up against Australian umpire Darrel Hair, who reported the Pakistani’s action during a Test tour down under in 1999-2000. Hair, who shot to fame in 1996 when he no-balled Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing, replaces England’s George Sharp as the international panel umpire for the match.
Shoaib’s action was closely watched by Denness during the first Test, but none of the on-field umpires, Sharp or Mohammad Riazuddin of Pakistan, had any objections. If Hair reports Shoaib again, the speedster faces a one-year suspension from international cricket as a panel of experts work on his bowling action.
Pakistani manager Yawar Saeed told AFP on Wednesday that his country’s cricket board had approved Hair’s name for the series. “We have no problem with Hair or anyone standing in the match,” Saeed said. Pakistani captain Waqar Younis, himself an outstanding fast bowler, said the controversy over Shoaib’s action was “over and done with.”
“He is a match-winner and I hope he continues to bowl as well as he did in the first Test,” Waqar said.
I think Pakistan should have objected to Hair standing in this match. When the board already knows that there is a problem with a certain umpire then why should we put up with him. I wish the Pak board would stand up for the well being of its own team rather than pamper the ICC all the time.
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Originally posted by ehsan: I think Pakistan should have objected to Hair standing in this match. When the board already knows that there is a problem with a certain umpire then why should we put up with him. I wish the Pak board would stand up for the well being of its own team rather than pamper the ICC all the time.
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And Why would that be ?? Just because the Umpire reported him for 'CHUCKING' ? If the PCB is so sure that he doesn't Chuck, then they shouldn't have sent Shoaib for correcting his action. By Doing so PCB accepted Umpire Hair's decision that Shoaib Chucks.
It is only in the sub-continent we make mole out of a mountain and un-necessary create hype and de-moralize our best Bowlers before they even start their carrers. Look at the Australians how Quietly they have treated the whole Brett Lee Issue and he continue to play and ICC also doesn't care much. Our Media is also responsible for ruining our best cricketers' career by giving over-exposure to negative things like these.
In Stead of complaining to ICC about HAIR - PCB should do the following :-
Stand By its player and Provide Moral Support to its Player by keeping him in the Team
Instruct our Media to write positivly on this matter
Tell ICC to have same standard for every case of Chucking reported (in stead of holding back Information about Brett Lee)
Consult its Former Players about the Guilty Players' action (I am sure Pakistan has produced better Fast Bowlers than any other Country - Both in quality and Quantity)
Asif Bhai I dont quite agree. Why should we put with an umpire who is known to have created problems for one of our player. We have the right to object and so we should have and protected our palyer, in this case Shoaib. What is the point in putting un- necessary pressure on Shoaib. He will be conscious of the fact that Hair is watching him and might not be able to perform at his best.
I agree with Asif. Hair is not the only one who objected on Shoaib's action. There are some other umpires who did that too, we cant just go after every umpire who objected on Shoiab's action. Te best thing is to resolve the problem like the Sri Lankans did for Murali.
Which Point you do not agree with Ehsan Bhai, I am sure it cant be all of them. My point is not that Hair is Good or Bad, I know these white guys intetions very well, when they cant play our bowlers they create such stupid thing (remember Waqar Younis and Ball tempering controversy in England). Now they brought up the Chucking issue, and Brett Lee has gotten away with it fairly easily, Shoaib had to suffer and most of the blame goes on our boards because we cant stand by our players in the hour of their needs. Has it ever occured to you that It might be a scam so that all thise agencies (of Bowling Correction) can benefit out of it. Tell me is there a spinner better than Abdul Qadir or Bishen singh Bedi or is there a fast Bowler better than Imran Khan/Wasim Akram who can help Our bowlers correct their actions, No but our guys have to gto to Australia/England so that their actions can be corrected again and again.
Why are our Boards so Meek that they can stand upto ICC and say, Look Buddy - Your Panel has cleared Shoaib and now If the Umpire is going to call him again he better be right this time or you take action against him.