Hair

MUMBAI, India (Reuters):

AUSTRALIAN DARRELL Hair was banned yesterday from umpiring any more international matches.

"He shall not be appointed to officiate in any international games until the end of his contract," International Cricket Council (ICC) president Percy Sonn told a news conference.

Hair's elite umpires' panel contract is due to expire in March 2008. The 54-year-old is the fourth most experienced umpire of all time, having stood in 76 Tests and 124 one-dayers.

"The members have lost confidence in Hair," said Sonn after a two-day meeting of ICC members from 10 Test-playing nations and three affiliates.

"We have given instructions to our management to discuss Hair's future with him."

Malcolm Speed, chief executive of world cricket's governing body, said Hair was told of the decision on Friday.

"I spoke to Darrell yesterday after that decision was made ... he was very disappointed," said Speed.

"David Richardson (ICC general manager - cricket) and myself will speak to Darrell in the next couple of days when he's had a chance to think about what this means for him," he said.

Overshadows Final

The decision to stand down Hair overshadowed the build-up to today's Champions Trophy final between world champions Australia and holders West Indies in Mumbai.

Pakistan blamed Hair when they forfeited the fourth Test against England at the Oval in August after being penalised for alleged ball tampering.

The Pakistanis refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day after Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove penalised the team five runs and changed the ball.

Hair and Doctrove then decided Pakistan had forfeited the Test. It was the first forfeiture in the history of Test cricket.

An ICC inquiry cleared captain Inzamam-ul-Haq of ball tampering on September 28, although it banned him for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute.

PCB Wwelcomes Decision

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Nasim Ashraf welcomed the decision on Hair.

"I thank the ICC board for this very fair and prompt decision," he said. "This vindicates our stand.

"I've been saying from the start the unfortunate incident at the Oval which was a blot on cricket was all because of Hair. If Inzamam can get a ban for coming late on to the field, then the person responsible for that also needed to be probed."

The ICC had said Hair would not officiate in the Champions Trophy which concludes in India today for "safety and security" reasons.

Hair was embroiled in further controversy when the ICC revealed he had offered to retire in exchange for US$500,000 and the PCB made it clear it did not want him involved in any more of its games.