A LAWYER who represented the FA Premier League in the biggest legal football affair of recent times has been called in by Pakistan to represent Inzamam-ul-Haq, their team captain, at his International Cricket Council (ICC) disciplinary hearing on Friday.

Last night, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials met senior lawyers from DLA Piper, including Mark Gay, the head of the company’s Sports Group, who worked for the Premier League on the Ashley Cole “tapping-up” case. After his efforts in that momentous affair, Gay is involved in something potentially bigger for cricket.

As Pakistan took legal advice, Darrell Hair, the umpire whose accusations of balltampering in the fourth Test at the Brit Oval so incensed the touring team, has spoken out for the first time about the furore that has shaken the world of cricket. The Australian said last night that he was standing by his decisions that triggered the row.

Choosing the Brisbane Courier Mail for his first media interview since sparking the controversy by penalising Pakistan for ball-tampering, Hair defended himself against allegations of bias against Asian countries and vowed to continue umpiring. “If other people have issues and they want to force me out, it will be an interesting battle,” he said.

Because of the Oval dispute, the forthcoming one-day series between the teams remains under threat. Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, said that his team need the experience of the five limited-overs internationals, which begin at Cardiff a week today, but there was no evidence of players remaining anything but squarely behind Inzamam, who faces a suspension of between two and four Tests, or four to eight one-day matches , if he is found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute.

Inzamam will appear before Ranjan Madugalle, the senior match referee, and faces a charge of ball-tampering as captain of the penalised team. Zaheer Abbas, the tour manager, said that the squad have been discussing whether to pull out of the one-day warm-up match against Middlesex at Uxbridge tomorrow. They are scheduled to practise today.

Pakistan have asked the ICC not to appoint Hair for any of their matches in future and Shahriyar Khan, the PCB chairman, promised a vigorous defence in two days’ time. Gay, who acted for the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in proceedings over whether England were obliged to play Zimbabwe in the 2003 World Cup, said: “We are confident that justice will prevail.”

Woolmer, however, hinted at difficulties ahead. He said: “In the end we know that the ICC have to support their staff, and umpires are part of their staff. We are all trying to get our heads around what has happened, but we are keen to play the one-day internationals.”

For its part, the ECB tried to limit damage caused by reports that Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, became a catalyst for Hair’s action on Sunday by asking Mike Procter, the match referee, to watch out for incidents of foul play. “We can confirm that no complaint about the match ball was registered,” a spokesman said. “There were no complaints lodged about anything at all.”

The ball itself remains in a safe under the supervision of Procter. It will not be produced for media cameras despite a request from the PCB. “The ball is part of the evidence for Friday’s hearing,” an ICC spokesman said. It is likely to remain in Procter’s custody after the case and while its value is slight, its potential cost to cricket may go beyond £10 million in lost revenues.

However grave the situation, Hair’s self-confidence is intact. “While I am doing the best job that I possibly can, I am going to continue,” he said. “I would not take any action unless I really thought it was necessary. I stand by what I have done, but if anything comes out of the inquiry that proves me incorrect I would accept that. The process has to be followed.

“I have been surprised at the extent of public criticism, but life goes on. It is not one of those issues that requires mourning. I do not have a problem with teams from the sub-continent. I have umpired there a lot in the past couple of years. When the ICC has asked me to do a job, I have done it to the best of my ability.”

He may be committed to continue at the highest level, but Hair is also a member of the ECB reserve panel and his next appointment is a second XI match between Derbyshire and Gloucestershire at Chesterfield, a week today.

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