Australian Darrell Hair was on Tuesday re-instated as International Cricket Council's [ Images ] Elite Panel umpire after he was banned from officiating any international matches 14 months ago.

Hair was banned by the ICC [ Images ] in November 2006 after his controversial handling of the Oval Test in August 2006 between Pakistan and England [ Images ] and the subsequent revelation that he had offered the ICC to retire in exchange for $ 500,000.

In that Test, Pakistan refused to take the field after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test after Hair and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove [ Images ] penalised them five runs on charges of ball tampering.

Hair and Doctrove then decided Pakistan had forfeited the Test, the first forfeiture in the 129-year history of Test cricket.

An ICC inquiry later cleared Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq [ Images ] of ball tampering although it banned him for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute.

Announcing Hair's reinstatement on Tuesday, ICC President-elect David Morgan said at the end of the two-day meeting of the executive board that "Hair was a good umpire and that a decision taken after much deliberations by the panel."