NEW DELHI, Nov 3: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to remove Australian umpire Darrell Hair from its elite panel, Indian television channels reported on Friday.

“Darrell Hair is unlikely to officiate in future international matches,” the NDTV channel quoted unnamed sources as saying. A two-day ICC executive board meeting, which will decide on Hair’s future among other issues, began in Mumbai on Friday.

Pakistan blamed Hair when they forfeited the Oval test against England in August after they were penalised for alleged ball tampering.

The Pakistan team refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test after Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove penalised them 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 Sept 28 although it banned him for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute.

The ICC also said Hair would not officiate in the Champions Trophy which concludes in India on Sunday for “safety and security” reasons. Hair had already been embroiled in further controversy when the ICC revealed that he had offered to retire in exchange for $500,000 and the Pakistan Cricket Board made it clear it did not want him involved in any more of its games.

An ICC spokesman said no decisions made at the Mumbai meeting would be announced until a news conference on Saturday.—Reuters