Amidst Controversy, Australian Cricket Umpire Darrell Hair resigns from International Cricket Council's elite panel of umpires.

The International Cricket Council has officially revealed that the Australian Umpire Darrell has tendered his resignation from ICC’s elite panel recently. It has been claimed that the umpire has agreed to take up a position as an executive officer of the New South Wales Umpires and Scorers Association. Although his contract with the ICC ends only on October 31st 2008, his stint as a coach at the association will begin on September 1st 2008.

Darrell Hair’s 16 year run as an international umpire has hardly been a smooth one. Dogged by controversy ever since his first Test match (India vs. Australia, January 1992), he has been under the scanner several times for his alleged bias and racism. Hair stormed cricket headlines in 2006 when he was expelled from ICC’s panel for the treatment meted out to the Pakistani Team. Hair, along with fellow umpire Billy Doctrove accused the Inzamam-led Pakistani Team of ball tampering. Angered by the decision, the Team players went on to forfeit the match which was then awarded to England. The result of this match was overturned only recently, after much contemplation, and the match was declared a draw.

Following this infamous incident, Hair was sacked from the panel, sued for racial discrimination and a 16 month ban was enforced, during which he was not permitted to officiate any First class international matches. Hair was restored to ICC’s elite panel in March 2008.

Since his return, Hair has officiated only two matches before handing in his resignation. Cricket rumours go that Hair resigned because he felt he had no future with the ICC. He felt he could not handle any more humiliation and torment from the cricket board. Despite being reinstated on the panel, ICC failed to award him a test series for the year. And after standing for two of the four tests between England and New Zealand, Hair has currently been assigned an insignificant One Day Series (ODIs) in Toronto involving the West Indies, Bermuda and Canada.

Despite controversy, Hair’s retirement comes as a major loss to the game. He was one of the highest ranked umpires for a long time, ranked at number 2 when he was dismissed in 2006. Since his debut in 1991, He has umpired 78 Tests and 137 one-day internationals.

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