Australian umpires for the first time feel the need to unionise following the Oval fiasco involving compatriot Darrell Hair.
MELBOURNE: Australian umpires for the first time feel the need to unionise following the Oval fiasco involving compatriot Darrell Hair.
An unprecedented move to unionise has been made to improve the support mechanisms for officials at international and state level after the forfeited Test controversy highlighted the immense pressure on umpires and, in the case of Hair, the lack of support available to them, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The officials have sought to join the Australian Cricketers' Association that will discuss the matter at a board meeting on Monday.
"We can confirm that an approach has been made," said ACA spokesperson Tarryn Paten.
"We are very sympathetic to the umpires' cause and will see if there is something we can do," he said.
The ACA may consider admitting women cricketers for the first time to diversify their membership base.
The Australian officials would be the first in international cricket to unionise should the ACA accept them.
The move has been under consideration for several years, but the ACA would seriously consider it in the meeting to be held only a couple of days after the hearing into ball tampering charges against Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Hair has been stood down from the Champions Trophy by the International Cricket Council, supposedly for security reasons, in the wake of the forfeited fourth Test between England and Pakistan.
Hair had accused the Pakistan team of ball tampering and penalised it five runs which resulted in the first forfeiture in the 129-year Test history for which captain Inzamam-ul Haq was also charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
After the Oval episode, Hair also offered to quit his job for a payment of $500,000 but withdrew it later.
An International Cricket Council disciplinary committee heard the versions of Pakistan and Hair and decided that Inzamam will miss four one-day matches for bringing the game into disrepute while he was cleared of the ball tampering charge.
But the consequences for Hair, who was technically on trial, could be far more dire.
He has not umpired a match since The Oval encounter, and his career is thought to be in jeopardy, with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka highly critical of his approach to the game.
In fact, the unwritten rule that "the umpire's decision is final" may also not stand thus reducing their authority.
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