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Auckland, Sep 16(ANI): New Zealand umpire Tony Hill has said that he suspected Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir bowled a deliberate no ball during the Lord's Test against England, but only to unsettle in-form Jonathan Trott.
Hill said that he and fellow New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden were concerned at the extent of Amir's no ball, but never suspected the 'spot-fixing' angle to it.
"We never suspected a thing. There had been the big overstep in particular and in our minds that was more a deliberate overstep to have a go at Trott, who had been batting so well," The Dominion Post quoted Hill, as saying.
"Billy and I chatted about that and thought it seemed deliberate, especially as it was dropped in short. But it all seemed to be one of those things that fast bowlers have been known to do to get an advantage," he added.
Hill, who stood at the end where Mohammad Asif overstepped, said that Asif is a dedicated bowler, so he is not sure if it was intentional.
"The one at my end from Asif was not a helluva lot over. He is generally pretty accurate [with his front foot]. It is the Glenn McGrath type thing where the foot comes down always in the same spot," Hill said.
"When it alters slightly you think it is unusual, but like McGrath, or anyone when they try harder, can occasionally go over," he added.
He further emphasized that he would never forget the "eerie" feeling out in the middle on the final day of the Test.
"It was very quiet out there. Both teams were very quiet. You always expected something to be said out there but it wasn't. They just got on with playing the game," Hill said.
"From our point of view it was a matter of trying to concentrate like hell so we weren't caught up in the moment. I was expecting a few verbals, but thankfully both sides concentrated on the cricket side of things. It was almost quiet," he added. (ANI)
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