Dan ell Hair on Tuesday dropped his < laim for racial discrimination agai ist the International Cricket Cou icil (ICC) in a deal that could allot i the Australian to resume his care ir as a Test match umpire next year

A statement made to a London emp oyment tribunal on the seventh day of what was supposed to be a en-day hearing said that Hair 'unc jnditionally' withdrew his alleg ition of race discrimination byw irldcricket'sgoverningbody.

U ider a deal finalised on Tuesday morning, the 55-year-old ump re will now work with ICC management on a "rehabilitation" programme and the ICC will decide in March 2008 whether he can return to top-level umpiring.

Hair took the ICC to the tribunal after being barred from officiating in Test matches following last year's controversial England-Pakistan match atThe Oval.

The Test became the first in history to be won by forfeit after Pakistan refused to resume playing after being penalised for ball tampering by Australian Hair and his fellow umpire Billy Doctrove, a black West Indian.

Hair had claimed he was a victim of racial discrimination because, while he has not been allowed to officiate in Tests since the incident. Doctrove has been able to continue his top-level career.

Pending the conclusion of his rehabilitation programme. Hair will continue to umpire matches just belowTest level.

ICC president Ray Mali welcomed the move and said: "We are pleased the issue has been

resolved. We had no option but to defend these serious allegations but now it is time to move on."

Both parties will have to finance their own legal costs but the ICC may regard that as a price worth paying after avoiding the risk of an adverse judgement that would have been hugely embarrassing.

Hair's solicitor, Paul Gilbert, said his client had no regrets about bringing the case and said he was pleased that the ICC would now look at the possibility of restoring Hair to the ranks of Test match umpires.

"This is really about getting back to umpiring top cricket matches," Gilbert said. "Darrell feels relieved’ and glad it's all over, and he does feel this is in the best interests of all parties.

"What we have now is a future for Darrell that leads to the possibility of his return to top-level umpiring."