 | IPL is the origin of corruption: Ex-umpire Darrell Hair
10 October 2012
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Melbourne: Former Australian cricket umpire Darrell Hair has said he was not at all surprised after spot-fixing allegations emerged against umpires and said air has been filled with such rumours since the birth of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
His statement came after an India channel claimed catching several umpires willing to fix matches in the recent World T20 event and Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).
“I was wondering how long it would take before some umpire did some stupid things,” the Australian Associated Press quoted Hair as saying.
“There have been rumours going around for ages, since the IPL started, that umpires were involved.
”It all comes down to two things: opportunity and greed. If you’re the type of person and you’re given the opportunity, the greedy part of you will say, ‘Yeah, I’m in’.”
The six umpires, who are purportedly shown in the India TV sting willing to fix matches, are Pakistan’s Nadeem Ghauri and Anees Siddiqui, Bangladesh’s Nadir Shah, and Sri Lanka’s Gamini Dissanayake, Maurice Winston and Sagara Gallage.
“In my whole career, there had always been word that certain umpires were on the take here or there,” he said.
“But to be fair, all the guys I umpired with at international level I think were pretty much above board. But I don’t doubt that there have been others around, probably in a lesser environment, trying to make a quick buck.”
“When I was working back at Cricket NSW, some of the Australian guys had been over there (the subcontinent) coaching and they just expressed surprise at things that were going on in that IPL.
“They couldn’t nail anything, it’s a bit difficult when they are talking in a different language.
“Some games were going along perfectly well and then all of a sudden all hell breaks loose, there is a flurry of wickets and all of a sudden you have lost a game that you were comfortably winning,” Hair said.
He also questioned ICC’s seriousness in dealing with corruption.
“The ICC are completely reactive in their way of doing things.
“They say they don’t have the legal powers that police have got for phone taps and that sort of thing, but I don’t buy that.
“I reckon the ICC should be above any law if they want to tap phones to ensure that the game is clean.”
Hair resigned as an international umpire in 2008 after a 16-year career. | | See Also in Sports News
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