Hair

London: Darrell Hair’s umpiring career in County cricket was thrown into jeopardy on Tuesday after being withdrawn from a local fixture as The Oval fiasco took a new turn with the controversial Australian apologising to his supporters for his “ill-advised” e-mail.

Hair was to officiate at Chesterfield in a Second XI match between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire on Wednesday, but has been stood down by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in the aftermath of the ball-tampering furore.

The burly Australian has been on the ECB’s reserve umpires’ list since moving to live in England three years ago and hoping to start umpiring at first-class County level next season.

After his war of words with the ICC in the past three days, Hair has apologised to his friends and supporters for letting them down by sending an “ill-advised” e-mail, offering conditional resignation to the game’s governing body.

“I wish to apologise to all my family, friends and supporters, because I somehow feel that I may have let them down, simply by sending an ill-advised but entirely confidential e-mail,” Hair said. “That has given other people the opportunity to question my motives,” he added. (Agencies)