The umpires called it based on experience and the condition of the ball having changed. We will never know if they were correct in their conclusions, not only because they were sole arbitors but because noone else was in a position to make that call. And by that I mean they were the ones monitoring the condition of the ball as the game progressed, noone can really make the same call based on looking at the final condition of the ball because they have no point of reference (2 overs, 5 overs, X overs previous..........)
So basically the call was made by the umpires, correct or otherwise. They applied the penalty, I get the feeling if any criticism could be made of Hair that he likes to use the full extent of the laws and if he THINKS anyone is cheating/breaching those laws, then he calls it. Just like with Murali etc etc. ICC prefers a softly, softly approach, like giving a kid another bat because he is going to bawl his eyes out when he is dismissed.
So the decision was made, the Pakistanis didn't like it and stayed in the dressing room. They should have made their protest after the match, plain and simple. You can't persuade me that 11+ grown men can't make a sensible decision between them, they made their choice and the umpires again applied the laws. Whether England think the result should be a draw or not is irrelevant, the correct penalty was applied and they forfeited.
And it is a shame the Asian bloc are acting as one more and more, I suspect a split will come and it may not be such a bad thing. Have two parallel championships and a play off for World Champions, reduces fixtures even though it will mean we don't get to play Pakistan, India etc. That will be a shame, as far as I'm aware most English don't like their attitudes and past misdemeanours, but still we regard them as valued opponents and take defeat as well as we take victory. Pakistan won the last series in Pakistan fair and square, despite Afridi's bit of unsporting pirouette on the pitch (can Pakistan really complain about being called cheats from time to time when there's evidence that they have in the past?) Sri Lanka won fair and square, don't hear calls of chucking winning that series and India won in this country without much doubt about that result either.
While English fans may find fault in the players, captaincy etc, that isn't saying the opposition didn't deserve to win, it's analysing our own performances and why we lost. As we are fans of England we focus on England, the good and the bad. And I'm sure England aren't squeaky clean when it comes to alleged cheating, Atherton's pathetic dirt in pocket incident is often brought up, but that's more embarrassing than cheating. I do find the aussie whinges about subs etc rather funny, the moving of the fielders during the bowlers delivery was bang out of order, but that's Vaughan trying to be a 'good' captain and being 'innovative'. It's a shame he isn't more POSITIVE, maybe we'd have won a Test in that aforementioned India series and the series would have been levelled (or better, who knows)
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