Future for Hair gets bleaker: Darrell Hair has further jeopardised his future as an international umpire by openly questioning the International Cricket Council's account of his controversial e-mails.
Those e-mails, which were revealed during an explosive press conference in London on Friday, revealed that Hair had demanded $500,000 to step aside in the wake of the ball-tampering allegations which resulted in a farcical finish to the final Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval.
Hair now claims he was encouraged to make the offer. Hair said: "During an extended conversation on August 21st I was invited to make a written offer. The figure in the e-mail correspondence was in line with those canvassed with the ICC."
Meanwhile, England crashed to a Twenty20 defeat as normal service was resumed on the field against Pakistan in Bristol yesterday.
Equestrian job goes to Stone
Irishman Michael Stone has been appointed to the post of secretary general to the International Equestrian Federation, the governing body for international equestrian sport, reports Grania Willis.
Stone (49) is from Castleknock in Dublin and became secretary general of the Irish Federation in 1987, a post he held for 10 years.
Stone is attending the World Equestrian Games in Aachen, where the showjumping gets under way with a warm-up competition this morning. All five of the Irish horses passed official veterinary inspection and will get their chance of a spin in the main arena today.
Team manager Robert Splaine has already named his quartet of Shane Breen (World Cruise), Cian O'Connor (Waterford Crystal), Cameron Hanley (SIEC Hippica Kerman) and Billy Twomey (Luidan). Marie Burke has travelled as reserve with Chippison.
Gurr drops three for Swiss trip
Irish basketball coach Greg Gurr has dropped three players ahead of Sunday's European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Geneva, reports Gavin Cummiskey. Colin O'Reilly, Kieran O'Brien and Eoin O'Brien have been left out, as European Federation rules state only 12 players can be a part of each national squad.
The cull means only four of the remaining squad members were born in Ireland with seven qualifying via their grandparents. Only one player, Emmet Donnelly of St Vincent's, plays in the domestic Superleague.
The rest are based in Europe except for Pat Burke, of the NBA champions the Orlando Suns, and former NBA player Marty Conlon - the 37-year-old is currently unattached.
Ireland play two home games against Romania on September 9th, live on RTÉ2, and against Cyprus on September 16th.
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