KARACHI, Feb 26: Australian umpire Darrell Hair has withdrawn his racial discrimination case against Pakistan, the country's cricket board said on Monday.

“We have been informed that Hair has withdrawn his case of racial discrimination against us and it doesn't surprises us because he couldn't sue us for what happened to him,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of operations Saleem Altaf said.

Hair earlier this month announced he had begun legal proceedings against the PCB and the International Cricket Council (ICC), claiming racial discrimination against him.

He was sacked from the ICC Elite Panel of umpires in November last year after Pakistan complained about his role in a ball-tampering row in the forfeited Oval Test against England last August.

Saleem said that decision had been taken by the ICC and not by Pakistan.

Hair may still take legal action against the ICC for removing him from the panel and banning him from officiating at Test matches.

Hair and his West Indian fellow umpire Billy Doctrove accused Pakistan of ball-tampering in the fourth Test against England and awarded the home side five penalty runs.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq refused to take the field over the allegations and the Test was finally awarded on forfeit for the first time in Test cricket's 129-year history.

A subsequent ICC inquiry conducted by their chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka absolved Inzamam and his team of ball-tampering charges, but banned Inzamam for four one-day matches for bringing the game into disrepute.

Hair's contract with the ICC expires next year, but he lost a chance to officiate the coming World Cup after being removed from the Elite Panel.—AFP