Pakistan wants Hair investigation before Inzamam hearing

The Pakistan cricket team has said they wanted the International Cricket Council (ICC) to launch an investigation against Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire at the centre of the ball-tampering row, before taking a decision on charges levelled against Inzamam-ul-Haq.

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), said he had written a three-point letter to the ICC topped by the demand of an inquiry against Hair for his accusation of ball tampering against Pakistan and a controversial verdict to forfeit the fourth Test at The Oval in favour of England.

Shaharyar wrote the letter following the ICC announcement that they have cancelled a meeting of the body's executive board scheduled for September 2 in Dubai.

"The decision by the ICC to cancel the Executive Board meeting in Dubai was taken after a consensus was reached among the members," Shaharyar said in an interview from his London home.

Shaharyar said that Pakistan were OK with the ICC move. According to him, Pakistan's main demand was that the ICC should begin an inquiry against Hair for his role in turning The Oval Test into a farce.

The ICC set a hearing in Inzamam's disciplinary case for August 25 in London but later postponed it after adjudicator Ranjan Madugalle expressed his unavailability to attend the hearing because of family illness. The ICC later announced that the hearing would take place in the second half of September.

Shaharyar said that Pakistan's second demand is that the ICC should make it sure that Hair is not allowed to officiate in any of Pakistan's matches in the future.