Hair says ICC encouraged his offer

Darrell Hair said he was encouraged by the ICC to make an offer to quit as an umpire following the Pakistan ball-tampering furore at the Oval last week, reports Rediff.

Hair has been heavily criticised since the International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed details of an email he sent to officials requesting a $500,000 one-off payment in return for quitting their elite panel of umpires after the row.

How does tampering with a ball affect its trajectory?

Players have used countless products - including hair wax, lip salve and sunscreen - to illegally make the unscuffed side of the cricket ball slicker and shinier. They may also chew sugary sweets or chewing gum in the field, before applying sweetened (and therefore shinier) saliva to the ball's surface.

The big question: How does tampering with a cricket ball affect its trajectory?

Guy Adams of The Independent comes up with soem answers.

Why ball-tampering is such an emotive issue

When umpire Darrell Hair awarded England five penalty runs for Pakistan violating law 42.3 for deliberately altering the condition of the ball during the fourth Test at The Oval, the Australian official provoked a huge Pakistani backlash.

Ball tampering is tantamount to cheating, everything that contravenes the spirit of this most gentlemanly of sports.

Unfortunately these accusations are nothing new to Pakistani cricket.

The slur has taunted the nation since all-rounder Imran Khan first extracted exaggerated late movement with the older ball during the 1970s.

In Cricket's stigma BBC Sport's Troy Cooley examines why ball-tampering is one of the most emotive and controversial issues in Test cricket, especially when accusations involve Pakistan.

Obituary: Wasim Raja

Wasim Raja died suddenly and unexpectedly on August 23, 2006, while playing cricket for Surrey with a team of seniors. The circumstances suggest a heart attack. He was only 54, yet his accomplishments had already covered a wide canvas - Test star, coach, ICC match referee, teacher, academic, and beloved family man.

Cricinfo's Shaad Shafqat writes is a touching obituary, Only the good die young.

Rest in pace, Wasim Raja.

August 18: The two-day test

August 18, 2000:

England v/s West Indies. An unforgettable victory for England at Headingley, and the first two-day Test in over 50 years.

Allan Donald vs Michael Atherton

The infamous over bowled by Allan Donald to Michael Atherton during South Africa's tour of England in 1998.

Aamir Sohail vs Venkatesh Prasad

It's the 1996 World Cup Quarter Final, India versus Pakistan at Bangalore.

Watch Aamir Sohail exchanging words with Venkatesh Prasad after smashing him for a boundary, and then the bowler coming back the very next ball with a fantastic delivery.

A football manager's views on cricket

Rafael Benitez is well on the way to being regarded as one of Liverpool Football Club's greatest ever managers after leading the Reds to two major trophies in his first two seasons in charge – an achievement never matched by any previous Anfield boss.

Here he offers his views on cricket.

Spanish wit at its best.

There's no place like home

Cricket's equivalent of Julius Caesar's famous Veni, Vidi, Vici - to conquer opponents in their backyards - is a rare trait among batsmen.

Bradman averaged 102.84 in England, while Wally Hammond and Ken Barrington also performed outstandingly on tours.

Among current batsmen, Rahul Dravid's overseas record trumps his magnificent one in India , but by and large most batsmen thrive in the relative comfort of home.

Travis Basevi and George Binoy of Cricinfo, look at batsmen who have performed better at home than overseas and vice versa.