ICC scolds umpire over no-ball comments

ICC rebukes umpire Tony Hill for publicly airing his belief that Pakistan players deliberately bowled no-balls.

WELLINGTON: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rebuked New Zealand umpire Tony Hill for publicly airing his belief that Pakistan players deliberately bowled no-balls, said a report.

Hill and compatriot Billy Bowden officiated in Pakistan’s Test against England at Lord’s last month, which is at the centre of newspaper allegations of a betting scam in which no-balls were bowled to order.

Hill told the Wellington’s Dominion Post that he suspected Pakistan bowlers sent down no-balls on purpose against England but did not link the tactic to corruption. Radio New Zealand said the ICC had reprimanded Hill over his comments and told him not to discuss the matter further until investigations were complete.

Hill said that during the match he and Bowden discussed the possibility that Amir and Asif were deliberately bowling no-balls by overstepping the crease. But he said they thought it was simply a tactic to unsettle in-form England batsman Jonathan Trott, rather than anything to do with betting.

Published in The Express Tribune, September  18^th, 2010.