Hair line bigger than bodyline: Bird

“I am absolutely shocked and stunned to hear what is happening and it all takes some believing,” Bird said. “There have been controversies going back through the history of cricket and the closest would be ‘bodyline’ in 1933—but never anything like this. It is a very, very sad time for cricket and there is no doubt our great game has been badly hurt. But as in the past, I am sure it will eventually get over it.”

Bird said Hair, who stood alongside him in the Englishman’s 66th and final Test, against India at Lord’s in 1996, would now find it difficult to ever umpire at the top level again even though the Australian has yet to be charged with any offence by the ICC.

“It was Darrell’s decision to do what he did and it has undoubtedly created problems for him. The hierarchy must make the decision in due course but with that sort of money involved things are looking bad for him.”

Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove declared that Pakistan had forfeited the fourth Test against England at the Oval on Sunday after the tourists twice refused to take the field in protest at the officials’ decision, earlier in the day, to award five penalty runs to England because of alleged ball-tampering.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq faces ball-tampering and disrepute charges as a result of the affair. But Bird said: “It is looking like the charges are going to be dropped. It is looking in favour of Pakistan now and it is my regret that it ever came to this in the first place. Everybody should have used a little bit of common sense,tried to finish the Test match then thrashed it out behind closed doors.”