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Hair to umpire in Kenya one-dayers

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NEW DELHI, India -- Australian umpire Darrell Hair, sacked from the International Cricket Council's elite panel in November following the Pakistan ball-tampering row, is to officiate in a one-day series in Kenya.

"It is likely that he will stand," an ICC spokesman said on Saturday.

The series between ICC Associate nations Scotland, Canada and hosts Kenya starts in Mombasa on Wednesday as they build-up for the March-April World Cup.

It would be a comeback for the experienced but controversial Hair, who was sacked by ICC from "all international games" after its executive board voted to remove him.

Hair was in the midst of a raging controversy in August after Pakistan blamed him when they forfeited the fourth test against England at the Oval after being penalized for alleged ball tampering.

The ICC spokesman said Hair's appointment would not flout any rule because the ban was for matches involving test nations.

"There is no deviation from the (ICC) board's policy," he said. "Darrell is contracted to ICC till March 2008 and there is nothing to stop him from standing."

An ICC inquiry following the Oval test fiasco cleared Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul Haq of ball tampering, although it banned him for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute.

Hair was embroiled in further controversy when the ICC revealed he had offered to retire in exchange for $500,000 and the Pakistan board made it clear it did not want him involved in any more of its games.

The row threatened to split the cricket world after Asian nations backed Pakistan's demand for Hair's removal.

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