LONDON, Aug 23: Darrell Hair, the most contentious cricket umpire in recent decades, has resigned from the ICC’s elite umpire’s panel to take on a teaching role in Australia.
The 55-year-old Hair will become executive officer at the New South Wales Umpires and Scorers Association from Sept 1, but is contracted to the International Cricket Council until Oct 31.
“He has tendered his resignation to us within the past month,” ICC spokesman Brian Murgatroyd said on Friday. “He is under contract until the end of October and has got other opportunities.”
Hair, who has officiated at the first-class level for 20 years, was also appointed last month to Cricket Australia’s high performance panel, which is designed to act as mentors to officials coming through its ranks.
He was only reinstated to the ICC’s elite list in March after a 16-month ban following the infamous forfeited Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval in August 2006 – a result that was overturned last month.
Hair, 55, hit the headlines when he was removed from the umpires’ panel for matches involving full member nations after Pakistan forfeited the fourth Test against England at The Oval in 2006 when they were penalised for ball tampering.
He only returned to umpiring at the top level this year for two Tests between England and New Zealand.
Hair and his West Indies’ colleague Billy Doctrove had enraged the Pakistan team when they penalised them five runs for ball tampering on the fourth day of The Oval Test.
Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and his players refused to take the field after tea and the match was awarded to England by forfeit.
Pakistan were cleared of ball-tampering at an ICC disciplinary hearing but Inzamam was suspended for bringing the game into disrepute.
Last month the ICC overturned the decision and declared the result a draw.
Hair underwent a six-month rehabilitation programme after dropping a racial discrimination claim against the ICC at a London employment tribunal and was reinstated to the elite panel.
Last month he was appointed to a Cricket Australia (CA) four-man mentoring panel for prospective elite umpires.
Considered in Australia to be a stickler for the rules, his strict interpretations have caused a furor and allegations of bias in Asia.
In 1995, Hair called Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan repeatedly for a suspect bowling action. He subsequently did not officiate a match featuring Sri Lanka for eight years – even though the ICC officially stated that no country can dictate which umpires officiate their matches.
The ICC cleared Muralitharan of chucking and revised its rules on bowling actions. Muralitharan is now the leading all-time wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Hair is currently umpiring a tournament in Toronto between West Indies, Bermuda and Canada.—Agencies