can't figure out how hair can still remain an elite panel umpire. Irrespective of however good he can umpire, the statement asking for cash in return for reignation is obnoxious. Frankly the only person who has now confirmed to have brought the game disrepute, is him.(might be inzy too but prima facia its hair himself)
The only reason he is still around imo is cos the guy happens to be an aussie and for some reason no one wants to annoy them
copied from reuters, the guy should have been sacked long time back
* A year after standing in his first test, Hair gave Craig McDermott out with a contentious caught behind decision off Courtney Walsh's bowling to give the West Indies a one-run victory in the fourth Test in Adelaide on Jan. 25, 1993. McDermott and Tim May had added 40 for the final wicket when Hair deemed the delivery to have brushed the fast bowler's glove contrary to the evidence of TV footage.
* Hair no-balls Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing on seven occasions during the Boxing Day test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in December 1995. Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga led his players off the field in protest only to return and bowl Muralitharan from the other end where umpire Steve Dunne was officiating.
* Hair describes Muralitharan's action as 'diabolical' in his 1998 autobiography, a charge which prompts the Sri Lankan board to ask the International Cricket Council to charge him with bringing the game into disrepute. He is stood down from a tri-nations series involving England, Australia and Sri Lanka and accuses Sri Lankan Board president Thilange Sumathipala of a 'smear campaign'.
* Adjudges Inzamam-ul-Haq run out by Steve Harmison in the second test against England in Faisalabad when the Pakistan captain seemed to be trying to evade the bowler's throw in Nov. last year.
* Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove rule Pakistan bowlers have tampered with the ball in the fourth test against England at the Oval in August 2006. The umpires impose a five-run penalty for the infringement and decide the match is forfeited when Pakistan's players fail to return to the field in protest at the decision.
* A letter from Hair, later revoked, offering to quit in return for $500,000, is made public by the ICC who set up an executive board hearing into its contents to be held in Dubai on Sept. 2.