Australian umpire Darrell Hair has accused the International Cricket Council of yielding to “racially discriminatory pressure” from Pakistan and India which has stopped him from officiating in Test matches.

Hair’s counsel, Robert Griffiths QC, told an employment tribunal here that while his fellow umpire Billy Doctrove, a 52-year-old black West Indian, had escaped sanction from the ICC despite bearing joint responsibility, his client had been stopped from umpiring Test matches.

“It is no understatement to say that the ICC’s actions as regards the claimant have been devastating for him,” he said. Griffiths accused the ICC of yielding to “racially discriminatory pressure” from Pakistan and India.

“The Asian bloc is dominant in cricket,” he said. “Sometimes, as here... it appears that it uses that dominance unlawfully.” Hair’s counsel said the important issue was whether Hair was punished to save Pakistan’s cricketing reputation, “and/or to teach a white Australian umpire a lesson, and any other like umpires” who dared to repeat his action.

Giving evidence, Hair said he believed the ICC wanted to blame him for the abandonment of the Test, even though he explained he had been following the rules and had even pointed out that the match could be restarted on the orders of the ICC chief executive. The game’s governing body subsequently banned Hair from presiding over top matches.

However, Griffiths said, the tape recording and transcript of the crucial part of the board meeting was missing. “Whether by accident or design, there is no record of this most critical aspect of the meeting.”

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