Hair raises stakes in cash-to-go row

Umpire Darrell Hair has claimed his offer to resign in exchange for 500,000 US dollars was made following negotiations with the International Cricket Council.

The Australian official, whose accusation of ball-tampering against Pakistan led to the protest which prematurely ended the fourth Test against England, emailed his immediate superior, Doug Cowie, with the proposal as the row threatened to wreck the one-day series between the two countries.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed denies anyone at world cricket's governing body discussed compensation with Hair before his correspondence with Cowie, but Hair told Brisbane's Sunday Mail: "It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing. I had a dialogue with them. That was understood."

He added: "I didn't do it off the cuff. Doug Cowie even said in his email reply to my offer that the proposal had merit."

Speed has described Cowie's initial reply to Hair - referring to an offer which "may have merit" and was "under discussions with ICC management" - as "ill-advised and inappropriate".