PTI
MUMBAI, Nov 4: International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday sacked Australian umpire Darrell Hair from its Elite Panel, putting an end to the career of one of the most controversial umpires in the game.
The decision to drop Hair, who was at the centre of the Oval Test fiasco, was taken during the two-day Executive Board meeting of the ICC here.
"Hair will not be appointed for any international or first-class game in the future. We discussed the issue and the members came to the conclusion that they have lost confidence in him," ICC President Percy Sonn told a press conference after the meeting.
"We tried to find a way out for him but overwhelming pressure from the board members worked against him."
The Asian countries tabled a motion seeking Hair's ouster and the members voted 7-3 in favour of it. Only England, Australia and New Zealand voted against the motion.
Hair, 56, whose contract with the ICC runs till March 2008, had been informed of the decision to remove him on Friday night, ICC chief executive officer Malcolm Speed of Australia added.
"I spoke to Darrell last night and he was very disappointed to hear that he will no longer stand as an international umpire," said Speed. "The ICC will discuss Hair's future with him in due course."
Sonn, asked if Hair may take the ICC to court for terminating his contract early, said: "We have an in-house team of lawyers and they had been consulted before the decision was taken.
The Hair issue was one of the major topics which were taken up for discussion on the opening day of the meeting.
The Pakistan Cricket Board had written a letter to the ICC seeking a thorough investigation of Hair's conduct during and after the Oval Test.
The Australian, who has often found himself in controversies, had accused Pakistan of ball tampering and awarded five bonus runs to England on the fourth day of the match.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq had refused to take the field in protest which led to the match being forfeited in favour of England, the first such case in the history of the game.
Inzamam was subsequently charged by the ICC for ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute. However, after a hearing by adjudicator Ranjan Madugalle, Inzamam was cleared of ball tampering but banned for four ODIs for bringing the game into disrepute.
Pak hails ICC decision: Pakistan hailed ICC decision to remove Australian umpire Darrell Hair from the elite umpiring panel. Reacting to the ICC's decision, Inzamam said he nurtured no grudge against Hair.
"I had already forgiven Hair. It is ICC's decision and I will not say much on it," said Inzamam. Former Pakistan Cricket Board director Abbas Zaidi said Hair's removal had vindicated Inzamam and the PCB.
"Since we were involved in the standoff it vindicates whatever we believed and advocated. We thank the British media and all the Asian cricket boards, especially India, for the support in the Hair issue," Zaidi said.
Former captain Javed Miandad said the ICC had set an example for other umpires.
"By removing Hair from the elite panel, the ICC has set an example and in future all other umpires will be under pressure to take right decisions," said Miandad, who had criticised Pakistan's protest in the Oval Test.