CricketViewer.com

Controversial Australian umpire Darrell Hair has withdrawn his case of racial discrimination against the Pakistan Cricket Board, a PCB official revealed on Saturday.

Saleem Altaf, PCB’s Director of Operations, told ‘The News’ from Lahore that Hair’s lawyers have informed the PCB that the umpire has decided to change his mind over taking legal action against the PCB.

Hair, who was sacked from the International Cricket Council’s (ICCs) Elite Panel of umpires last year on Pakistan’s insistence, announced earlier this month that he would take legal action against the PCB over his sacking.

“We have been told that Mr. Hair has withdrawn the racial discrimination case he announced filing against us. As far as we are concerned the chapter is closed now,” Altaf said.

Hair was barred from officiating Test and One-day International (ODI) matches after the forfeited Oval Test between England and Pakistan last August.

“I have instructed my lawyers to issue an application alleging racial discrimination,” Hair had said at the press conference in Nairobi earlier this month.

At that time Hair had said that the PCB unlawfully induced the ICC to engage in discriminatory acts when it lobbied for his ban.

PCB lawyers, who received a legal note from Hair earlier this month, answered promptly by contending that the umpire worked for the ICC and was sacked by his employers.

“Hair had jurisdiction, he couldn’t sue us for what happened,” said Altaf.

He pointed out that the ICC president Percy Sonn had said in November last year that the ICC board had lost confidence in Hair.
Source:The News