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Darrell Hair's solicitors are citing "unacceptable and appalling" treatment, as they prepare their racial discrimination case against the International Cricket Council.
Umpire Hair has confirmed he is to begin legal proceedings against the ICC and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
It is in a subsequent statement issued on his behalf, however, that Hair's solicitors make it clear the gloves are off again in a saga which has been to cricket's great detriment ever since the Australian and his colleague Billy Doctrove oversaw Pakistan's forfeiture of last summer's Oval Test against England.
"It is our view, and that of our client, that he has been treated in an unacceptable and appalling manner - the reality in this case is that our client would not have been treated in this way if he had not been a white umpire," the statement asserts.
Hair, formerly a member of the ICC's elite panel of umpires, was dropped last November for international matches involving full members - the 10 major Test-playing nations.
That move came three months after he and Doctrove had been at the centre of the controversy in the world's first forfeited Test.
Pakistan staged a sit-in protest at the umpires' decision to replace the match ball, effectively accusing them of illegal tampering.
The tourists' refusal to take the field eventually resulted in the abandonment and their forfeiture of the Test.
Soon afterwards, Hair offered to resign in return for 500,000 US dollars - a revelation communicated by him to the ICC via email but subsequently put in the public domain by the world governing body.
While West Indian Doctrove has returned to the game, Hair has not stood in a Test match since but did officiate in Wednesday's ICC World Cricket League Division One final between Kenya and Scotland in Nairobi.
The ICC have declined to comment on the latest developments but are considering, on their own legal advice, whether to issue a public response in due course.
If and when they do so, the ICC will be mindful of further remarks in the statement from Finers, Stephens, Innocent - the solicitors engaged by Hair.
It continues: "While we had hoped this matter would have been sorted out amicably, this - through no fault of our client - has not been possible.
"Darrell Hair is entitled not to be discriminated against, and we have therefore issued proceedings in the Employment Tribunal against the ICC and PCB."
The statement sets out the exact intentions of the legal action.
"These proceedings seek a declaration that the ICC has discriminated against Darrell Hair by reason of his race, as well as for damages and losses which he has suffered as a result," it reads.
"The PCB are also a party on the basis that they unlawfully induced the ICC to engage in discriminatory acts.
"We and our client have total confidence in his claim."
Hair set out his stall at a press conference after Wednesday's showpiece match in Nairobi.
"I can confirm that I have instructed my lawyers Finers, Stephens, Innocent of 179 Portland Street, London, to issue an application to the London Central Employment Tribunal alleging racial discrimination by the International Cricket Council and the Pakistan Cricket Board," he said.
Hair hopes to resume his career at the highest level - although he accepts his employers will ultimately make that decision.
"That will be up to the ICC," he added.
"Those decisions are for other people. I think I made it clear some time ago that I'd like to keep umpiring."
PCB chairman Dr Nasim Ashraf has, meanwhile, left no-one in any doubt of his contempt for Hair's decision to take legal action - describing it as "opportunism".
"I am simply outraged," he told BBC Radio Four's Today programme.
"I can't believe it - this is adding insult to injury. Race has nothing to do with this.
"Mr Hair was removed from the elite panel of umpires by the full ICC board - which has many countries, including England and Australia, which are white.
"I am just flabbergasted. This is the most preposterous thing I've heard, when our lawyer told me we had received a letter from his solicitors accusing the ICC of racial discrimination and naming the Pakistan Cricket Board as a party to this issue."
Ashraf insists Hair's de-selection from the ICC's elite umpires panel was for bona fide reasons.
"Mr Hair was removed from the ICC panel of umpires because of his bad umpiring and poor judgment," he said.
"I think this is probably another manifestation of Mr Hair's mental status.
"I dare say it sounds almost as if he's not only just very impetuous or stubborn; if he made a mistake a man should have stood up and said 'I made a mistake'.
"For him earlier to have also asked for a half-a-million dollars during the incident and saying 'look, give me this money and I will simply walk away', and now 'suing' the ICC and naming the PCB as a party for racial discrimination, smacks to me of another bit of, perhaps, opportunism."
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Source: Sporting Life |
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