London, Aug 18 (ANI): England captain Andrew Strauss has described the 2006 Oval Test against Pakistan as a "slowly unfolding train wreck" that left an indelible stain on cricket's history books.
The decision of the umpires to dock Pakistan five runs for altering the condition of the ball led to a stand-off the full impact of which was still being felt a year ago.
The match was forfeited when Hair, the senior umpire "melodramatically removed the bails", according to Wisden.
"It was one of those things when you think you're watching a train wreck, really," The Telegraph quoted Strauss, as saying on Tuesday.
"We were basically spectators in it, but you almost knew there was something pretty massive brewing there. It was something we had no ability to control," he added.
The match was originally awarded to England, until 2008 when the International Cricket Council changed the result to a draw following political lobbying by the Pakistan board.
The decision was disputed by the MCC and in 2009 the ICC reversed it back to an England victory.
"It's [forfeit] the only logical result for that situation," Strauss added.
"If not, it could set a precedent for teams walking off the pitch and managing not to lose the game. It was not a good day for the game of Test cricket," he said.
Hair's career was ruined when it emerged a few days later he had offered to resign in exchange for 500,000 dollars. He did umpire in Test cricket again, but has since retired and now lives in Sydney.
Hair is due to appear on Test Match Special on Wednesday and it will be interesting to hear if he will admit any liability on his part. (ANI)
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