Australian umpire Darrell Hair has resigned to take up a coaching role.

The 55-year-old returned to the International Cricket Council's elite panel of umpires in March after being removed in the aftermath of the row during the Oval Test between Pakistan and England in August 2006.

But he has officiated in only two Tests since his reinstatement and has now quit to become executive officer of the NSW Umpires and Scorers Association - a role he will take up on September 1.

Outgoing NSWUSA executive officer Peter Hughes told The Australian: "Darrell will concentrate on what he will do best - mentor, coaching and getting umpires up to a higher level."

Hair is currently umpiring in Toronto at a tournament involving West Indies, Bermuda and Canada.

His controversial career was halted in late 2006, soon after his decision to award five penalty runs to England for alleged ball-tampering by Pakistan in the fourth Test saw the tourists refuse to take the field after tea on the penultimate day.

Following a period of confusion it was eventually announced Pakistan had become the first team in history to forfeit a Test match.

In the aftermath of the incident the focus shifted to Hair, and Pakistan called for him to be barred from officiating in any of their matches.

Hair was dropped as a Test match official soon after The Oval incident by the ICC after it revealed he had tendered his resignation in return for a payment of £250,000.

The issue rumbled on and in October 2007 Hair took the ICC to an employment tribunal in London for alleged racial discrimination.

He maintained that his treatment over the incident had been unfair because fellow umpire Billy Doctrove, who bore equal responsibility for the decision to abandon the match, was allowed to go on umpiring in Tests while he was barred.

But he dropped the action midway through the hearing in the hope it would lead to his Test recall.

Hair was duly restored to the elite list but has since umpired in only two Test matches - the second and third Tests between England and New Zealand earlier this summer.

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