‘Time frame impractical’Doug Cowie, ICC umpires manager, replies: Darrell, your offer may have merit and is acknowledged and under discussions with ICC management. Your time frames seemed impractical at first glance even if agreement were achieved on the suggestion. Will discuss this further.‘Revised offer’Hair again: Doug, phones have been ringing off the hook (or out of the mobile charger anyway!) since early this morning—ICC are not the only ones marshalling legal counsel. It appears from overnight developments that the issue of racism has arisen and from advice I have just received, the sum indicated in my release offer is being revised. Therefore the offer is withdrawn until I have had the chance to take further advice. Hope to get back to you within the next 24 hours.‘Entirely inappropriate’Malcolm Speed, ICC CEO, steps in: Dear Darrell, I have been given copies of letters that you have forwarded to Doug Cowie today concerning the current issue. The matters raised by you concerning your future employment are entirely inappropriate. There is a clear process that is to be followed and it is in place. I will call you tomorrow to advise as to progress.‘Have revoked the mail’Hair retracts: Thanks Malcolm, I have revoked the email. As you say, it is inappropriate and we will see how things unfold over the next few days. It would appear that life will go on regardless. I have just sent Doug another message with you and David (Richardson) copied in about events under my control and some others that are not!...And now the musicMoral victory for Pakistann This is a moral victory, and it makes a strong case for us to be cleared on ball-tampering. We were very confident that we hadn’t tampered with the ball — we didn’t like the way the whole thing was projected to the world. Zaheer AbbasBe firm, take him off panel• ICC should take very firm action. Hair has had enough problems in the past. The ICC had taken off Hair from their panel earlier, they should do that again. Keep him out. Arjuna RanatungaNo charge against Hair?• It seems extraordinary when you consider that Inzamam-ul-Haq has been charged on two counts. But Darrell Hair, after these extraordinary letters (which carried the $500,000 offer), finds himself under no charge whatsoever.Michael Atherton
