Cricket: Australian umpire Darrell Hair offered to resign following the ball-tampering affair this week in exchange for "a payment of 500,000 US dollars".
Hair was the umpire at the centre of the ball-tampering dispute that brought a premature end to the fourth Test match between Pakistan and England at The Oval last Sunday.
Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove first penalised Pakistan five runs for ball-tampering and then judged they had forfeited the match by failing to spot a sit-in protest when play was due to resume.
The International Cricket Committee was due to hold a disciplinary hearing for Pakistan captain Inzamam ul-Haq today but that was postponed because of the unavailability of ICC referee Ranjan Madugalle.
However the ICC called a press conference at which chief executive Malcolm Speed revealed Hair's actions.
Speed said: "On Tuesday 22nd August I was handed a letter written on that day by Darrell Hair to Doug Cowie, who is the ICC Umpires and Referees Manager.
"When I received the letter it is fair to say I was extremely surprised by the content and concerned as to how I should deal with it.
"In the letter Darrell Hair offered to leave his job as a top official in the ICC in exchange for a payment of USD500,000."
Speed is confident that Hair was acting "to find a solution in the interests of the game".
He said: "Darrell Hair was under great stress when he wrote these letters and I am confident that Darrell Hair had no dishonest, underhand or malice intent - he was seeking to find a solution in the interests of the game."
Speed added: "This issue has been marked by a series of unnecessary and entirely avoidable over-reactions. I've been concerned I was over-reacting to the content of these letters but I have been assured I am not."
After receiving the offer from Hair, Speed was advised by lawyers to disclose the contents to the Pakistan Cricket Board as they were relevant to the disciplinary case against Inzamam. Having informed the PCB, Speed then felt compelled to make the documents public.
Speed made clear that no action has yet been taken against Hair - but refused to rule out that possibility in the future.
Hair responded to the release of the letters by vowing to continue his career despite the ongoing ball-tampering furore surrounding him.
He said in a statement: "There is now a communication from myself to the ICC in the public domain. This correspondence was composed after a very difficult time and was revoked by myself two days later after a period of serious consideration.
"There was no malicious intent behind this communication with the ICC. I am anxious that the code of conduct hearing takes place as soon as possible so these matters can be resolved and allow me to move on with my umpiring.
"This is the only public comment I will be making on this matter and I request that the privacy of my family is respected at this time." PA