Hair drops charges against Pakistan board

Darrell Hair, the Australian umpire at the heart of the Oval controvery last year, has decided not to take legal action against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for racial discrimination.

"I have been told by our lawyer Mark Gay that Hair has withdrawn the case," Dr Naseem Ashraf, the PCB chairman, was quoted as saying in The News.

Hair was sacked as an Elite Panel umpire by the ICC for his role in the forfeited Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval last year, during which he accused Pakistan of ball tampering. He was reinstated as an umpire for the World Cricket League in Kenya earlier this month and stole some of the spotlight when it emerged that he was considering legal action against the PCB for their alleged role in his sacking.

Ashraf said that the PCB was confident they had a valid case against Hair as it was always a matter to be resolved between Hair and his employers, the ICC . "Hair knew well that he had no case against us, what he has done is there for everyone to see. If any party had a case, it was Pakistan."

However, the issue isn't closed yet as far as the ICC is concerned as it was learnt that Hair would continue to pursue the simultaneous lawsuit he filed against them.