Darrell Hair could make his return to international umpiring in England this summer after being reinstated to the elite panel by the ICC at its executive meeting in Dubai yesterday. Test and one-day series against New Zealand and South Africa mean that Hair would be able to officiate without offending Asian sensibilities.

Hair has not stood in an elite contest since the infamous Brit Oval Test in 2006 that Pakistan forfeited after Hair penalised them five runs for ball-tampering. The crisis spiralled to a point where Hair was relieved of his full-time duties and retaliated by taking the ICC to court claiming racial discrimination.

Not a man given to backing down, he caused widespread surprise by withdrawing his case seven days into the hearing, prompting suggestions that he had agreed a compromise with the governing body. David Morgan, the ICC president-elect, was among those who thought that Hair should not have been removed in the first place.

A spokesman for the ICC said that the decision to welcome him back had been unanimous, but Shaharyar Khan, the former head of the Pakistan Cricket Board, criticised the ICC’s judgement. “This is shocking news,” Khan said. “He should never have been reinstated after committing so many gross irregularities during the Oval Test.

“The ICC board decided beyond doubt Hair’s conduct was not up to the mark. This man violated his responsibilities as a senior umpire. How the ICC can restore him is hard to comprehend.”

Hair, 55, left his adopted home in Lincolnshire to return to his native Australia in the wake of the controversy and is not guaranteed to continue on the elite panel when his contract runs out next March. Before the Oval, however, he was recognised as being among the best decision-makers in the world.

“His position will be reviewed in a year’s time, as is the case with all of the other umpires who are coming to the end of their contracts at that stage,” Morgan said. “Mr Hair is a very good and a very competent umpire. He has had time away from the coalface and umpired other activities.” These have included games between Associate Member countries during a period of what the ICC described as “rehabilitation”. While Hair has been away from the limelight, confidence in officials has been hit by the farcical end to the 2007 World Cup final when four of the leading umpires between them forgot a basic regulation.

Subject to the consent of officials in England and South Africa, the series in the second half of the coming season will trial greater use of technology. Players will be able to request that decisions on the field are reviewed by the TV umpire. The ICC cricket committee is yet to finalise an exact procedure for the experiment.

Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has escaped sanctions despite “serious financial irregularities” found in its accounts. It is understood that the UK Government has asked for a copy of the audit conducted for the ICC by KPMG before deciding whether Peter Chingoka, the ZC president, will be granted a visa for the ICC annual meeting in June.

Countries will have an “unfettered right” to block their players from participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) under a contract agreed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The ICC and BCCI accepted that bilateral commitments of countries will take precedence over IPL fixtures.

The 2011 World Cup will comprise 14 teams, two fewer than took part in the West Indies last year.

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