The biggest format of cricket, Test match, has its own importance. Test cricket is considered to be the real cricket and it tests the batsmen as well as the bowlers. Sometimes the result of a Test match is out in 2 days. But sometimes the result is not out even after five days. If we look at it, many exciting matches have been seen in the 147-year history of Test cricket. But there was also an occasion when a team won a Test match because the opponent team refused to take the field.
This incident happened in the year 2006 between England and Pakistan at the Oval ground in London, which was the last test of the four-match series between the two countries. The first test match of the series between the two countries ended without any result, while the host England won the next two test matches. After this, Pakistan dominated in the fourth test match and was in a very good position to register its first win in the series. But then the Pakistan team led by Inzamam-ul-Haq was accused of ball tampering. What happened after this became history. Let’s know this whole story…
That Test match started on 17 August and the whole ruckus happened on the fourth day of the match i.e. 20 August 2006. In the match, Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq won the toss and decided to bowl. Pakistani bowlers proved their captain’s decision right and wrapped up England’s first innings at 173 runs in 53.2 overs. Umar Gul (4/46) and Mohammad Asif (4/56) bowled brilliantly for the visiting team. Then the Pakistan team scored 504 runs in their first innings and got a lead of 331 runs. Mohammad Yousuf played an innings of 128 runs for Pakistan, while openers Mohammad Hafeez (95) and Imran Farhat (91) fell prey to nervous nineties.
After falling behind by a big margin on the basis of the first innings, the English team tried to make a comeback in the match. However, England lost the wicket of Marcus Trescothick (4) in the third over of their second innings. But captain Andrew Strauss (54) and Alastair Cook (83) settled at the crease and made a partnership of 107 runs. After that, there was a partnership of 103 runs between Cook and Kevin Pietersen for the third wicket. Here the English team seemed to be making a very good comeback. But the century partnership of Cook-Pietersen was broken by fast bowler Umar Gul.
In the 52nd over of England’s innings, Cook was out LBW on a swinging delivery from Gul. After Cook, Paul Collingwood came to the crease and he took the innings forward with Kevin Pietersen. Everything was going well in England’s second innings till the 56th over. But after the 56th over, there was a conversation between the on-field umpire Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove. Hair did not seem happy at all with the condition of the ball and he was repeatedly showing a particular part of the ball to fellow umpire Doctrove. After this, fourth umpire Trevor Jesty brought a box, which contained many balls.
The Pakistani captain was not very happy with this because the ball had just started reverse swinging. However, the umpires showed the balls to the batsmen and asked them to choose one of them, after which Collingwood chose one ball. Till here everything was fine because it is common to change the ball due to bad condition. But on this occasion, after changing the ball, surprisingly Darrell Hair indicated five penalty runs in England’s account. Hair believed that the Pakistani team had tampered with the ball. Inzamam lodged an objection against this decision, but the field umpire clearly said that whatever you have to say, tell it to the match referee. Meanwhile, the game continues after lunch on the fourth day.
By the end of the 72nd over, England’s score was 298 runs for four wickets and they were only 33 runs behind Pakistan. Kevin Pietersen was out on 96 runs. While Ian Bell was unbeaten on 9 and Paul Collingwood on 26 runs. However, due to bad weather, the umpires declared tea break on this score. During tea break, Pakistani team coach Paul Woolmer had an argument with the match referee on this matter. Meanwhile, the weather had also cleared and the umpires came on the field for the last session. The umpires came on the field, but the players of the Pakistani team did not come. On the other hand, Collingwood and Bell sitting in the dugout were impatiently looking towards the dressing room of the Pakistani team.
After a long wait, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell also came to the field for batting. Both of them clearly said that they are ready to play, but the Pakistani players were not ready to come on the field. Pakistani wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal takes off his gloves and sits in the balcony. There were only two batsmen and two umpires on the field, which was a very strange situation. When the Pakistani players did not come on the field, Darrell Hair dropped the bails at 5 pm. After this, both the umpires and the batsmen left the field. Here it was completely clear that according to the umpires the match has been declared over and England has become the winner.
However, after a few minutes, another twist is seen. The English camp tries to convince the Pakistani players. At 5:15 pm, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chairman David Morgan goes to the Pakistani dressing room for talks. On the other hand, there is also a conversation with the Pakistan team’s match referee Mike Proctor. After this, the Pakistani players enter the field at 5:30 pm. However, this time the umpire did not come on the field because now Darrell Hair refused to come on the field. In such a situation, after two minutes, the Pakistani players leave the field and return to the pavilion.
Dare Hair said that as per the rules, if a team refuses to play, then the opposing team is declared the winner. Therefore, now there is no question of starting the match again because the result has been decided. This was also told to Pakistani captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. At 10.30 pm, the International Cricket Council (ICC), ECB and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) held a press conference in which it was told that England has been declared the winner of the match.
Later, the ICC cleared the Pakistan team of ball tampering charges, but imposed a ban of four ODI matches on Inzamam-ul-Haq for refusing to play in the match. The surprising thing was that after almost two years, the ICC changed the result of the match to a draw on the request of the PCB. But then after a year, on the recommendation of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the body that makes the rules of cricket, the ICC took a U-turn and restored the original result. That is, the England team was the winner of that test match.
Meanwhile, ICC took a big decision on 4 November 2006 and banned Darrell Hair. One of Hair’s emails was also leaked. In that email, Hair had asked ICC umpire manager Doug Cowie for 5 lakh US dollars in exchange for taking early retirement. According to Hair, ICC itself had asked him to send such an offer in writing. However, ICC said that this claim of Hair was completely wrong.
On the other hand, in February 2007, Darrell Hair also played the game and filed a case against ICC and PCB alleging racial discrimination. Hair argued that no one was saying anything to his fellow umpire Billy Doctrove (West Indies) in that controversial test match. However, in October 2007, Hair withdrew the case. In March 2008, Hair again got a place in the ICC’s elite panel and he also umpired in two test matches. However, on 22 August of the same year, Hair submitted his resignation to the ICC. Hair’s international umpiring career lasted for about 16 years.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)