ICC reassigns umpires to prevent Hair-Muralitharan clash

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to reassign umpires for the quarterfinals to avoid another unsavoury clash between Darrel Hair and Mutiah Muralitharan. The decision marks a turnaround in the ICC, who had previously refused to reassign Umpire Hair after vehement protests from Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL).

BCCSL president Thilanga Sumathipala said that he had discussions with ICC president Malcolm Gray by phone on Wednesday and had received an assurance that the umpires will be a reassigned from the second round of the competition.

"I am happy about the decision taken by the ICC. The national team can now concentrate on planning out their strategy for the rest of the tournament without any worries and go ahead and win it," said Sumathipala.

He said team manager Neil Perera was 'jubilant' when the good news was conveyed to him.

Sri Lanka ranked second to World Cup champions Australia in the current one-day international standings thrashed the West Indies by 108 runs in their opening match of the tournament to move into the quarter-finals where they will meet Pakistan.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan the central figure in the umpiring controversy came off with a match-winning performance strangling the West Indies batsmen with remarkable bowling figures of 10-4-9-0.

Muralitharan was called for throwing by Hair in a test in Melbourne five years ago, and his bowling action was described in Hair's autobiography as 'diabolical'. Hair had also publicly said that he would not hesitate to 'call' Muralitharan again if ever he got the opportunity.

After the strong stand taken by the BCCSL, Hair had been kept out of matches involving Sri Lanka for the past five years. However Sumathipala said that the matter would not rest there, but he would pursue it at the executive board meeting of the ICC at Nairobi on October 17 and 18, to ensure that Hair does not officiate in any matches involving Sri Lanka in the future.