The Oval controversy

Darrell Hair timeline

Cricinfo staff

October 1, 2006

Timeline of the events from the fourth Test between England and Pakistan and the subsequent developments

The moment that started the controversy as Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove inspect the ball © Getty Images

1.34pm Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove examine the match ball after an Umar Gul over on the fourth day of the fourth Test at The Oval. Hair, believing the condition of the ball to have been unfairly altered, signals to the scorers that Pakistan will be penalised five runs. Ball is changed.

3.43pm Hair and Doctrove, and not out England batsmen Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, return to the field after tea but there's no sign of Pakistan team. Officials and batsmen return to pavilion.

3.54pm Umpires and batsmen return to field, but still no Pakistan team. Bails are removed and the covers come on.

4.19pm Match referee Mike Procter, chairman of the ECB David Morgan and Pakistan counterpart Shaharyar Khan seen in deep discussions on balcony.

4.24pm Inzamam leads Pakistan team back onto the field, but now there is no sign of the umpires. Talks did not involve the umpires who insist that the original Pakistan no-show after tea means the match has been conceded.

5.13pm Play called off for the day.

9.10pm Test abandoned after Pakistan deemed to have forfeited match. England declared winners and take series 3-0. It is the first forfeit in 129 years of Test history.

Aug 21
Inzamam says he kept his team off the field to defend his country's pride after allegations of cheating. Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, and team manager Zaheer Abbas both insist their side had not been guilty of ball-tampering. Inzamam is charged with ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute by ICC. Meanwhile, the PCB says it no longer wants Hair to officiate in any of its team's matches.

Aug 22
Inzamam warns cricket chiefs: Clear me of ball tampering or the tour of England is finished. British newspapers report that England coach Duncan Fletcher visited Procter's room before the start of the fourth day's play. English officials insist no "specific complaint" about the ball was made.

Aug 23
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed insists Pakistan would have no right of veto over the appointment of Hair for future Tests. Zaheer confirms the team's upcoming one-day series against England will go ahead after a disciplinary hearing involving captain Inzamam was postponed due to the unavailability of ICC chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle. Speed on his way to London to help broker a deal that could keep Pakistan's tour of England on track. Hair says he stands by his decision and wants to continue umpiring.

Events took a dramatic twist when Malcolm Speed revealed Hair had offered to resign for $500,000 © Getty Images

ECB makes contingency plan for England to play a World XI in the event Pakistan pull out of the upcoming one-day series.

Aug 25
ICC announce that Hair offered his resignation in return for a payment of 500,000 dollars. Speaking at a news conference in London, Speed says: "Hair was under great stress when he wrote these letters. Darrell had no dishonest, underhand or malicious intent. He was seeking a solution."

Aug 26
ICC sets Inzamam hearing provisionally for last week of September.

Aug 27
Hair says he received "encouragement" to make his resignation offer from ICC umpires and referees manager Doug Cowie. ICC say discussions were merely "informal".

Sep 4
Speed warns Pakistan and Inzamam against making any further "inappropriate" public comments ahead of the hearing saying they risk further charges under the ICC code of conduct.

Sep 25
ICC confirm that Inzamam will answer charges at a two-day hearing in front of Madugalle starting at The Oval, starting on Wednesday September 27. Inzamam, Hair, Doctrove and Procter are among those set to attend with a decision due Friday local time.

© AFP

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In Focus

The Darrell Hair Affair

Stories

Inzamam summoned as witness in Hair's Oval law suit

England to ask Pakistan to pay for Oval damages

Inzamam cleared of ball tampering

Inzamam decision expected on Thursday

Making sense out of chaos

The unforgetful Lankan

Players/Umpires

Darrell Hair

Inzamam-ul-Haq

Malcolm Speed

Teams

England

Pakistan