Darrell Hair's presence in Tests could be disputed by Pakistan

The International Cricket Council says it will act to prevent reinstated umpire Darrell Hair from standing in matches involving Pakistan.

Hair has not officiated in a major match since the infamous Oval Test in 2006, when Pakistan refused to continue after being accused of ball-tampering.

ICC general manager Dave Richardson told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We would have to take a sensible approach.

"We will probably keep him away from Pakistan matches where we can."

One of cricket's most controversial incidents began when Pakistan were penalised five runs and England were allowed to select a different ball in the fourth and final Test of the 2006 Test series.

Hair, 55, was dropped from the ICC's elite panel following the fiasco at The Oval, and began a racial discrimination claim against cricket's governing body.

It's come as a shocker... Our board still needs to review this issue Inzamam-ul-Haq Former Pakistan captain

But he dropped the case and has since been on an ICC rehabilitation programme.

Hair has also been accused by fans in India and Sri Lanka of making decisions in favour of other teams.

But Richardson hinted the Australian would not be barred from officiating in all matches involving Asian teams.

The former South Africa Test wicket-keeper said: "It's pointless having an umpire on the elite panel who is excluded from umpiring certain teams.

"There are always going to be stages in an umpire's career when he is not flavour of the month, but he will come up against an Asian team at some stage."

He admitted "a lot of people might be angry" that Hair was back on the international rota.

606: DEBATE What's done is done and Hair should be treated the same as any other umpire AR

"Darrell Hair over time seems to polarise opinion, but a lot of his supporters will feel it is justified to bring him back and that he was unjustly kept on the sidelines in the first place."

Key matches involving Pakistan, however, will not be on Hair's immediate agenda.

Richardson said: "We don't want to put umpires in an almost impossible position where any mistake they might make would be under such scrutiny that the pressure becomes impossible."

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, now retired from Tests, said Hair's re-emergence had "come as a shocker".

He added: "What more proof did they require that Hair was not fit to stand in international matches?

In a technical sense he's an excellent umpire, one of the best two or three in the world Peter Young Cricket Australia

"After the Oval Test, it was clear Hair should not supervise international matches. Why that has changed is surprising to me. Our board still needs to review this issue."

Meanwhile, England's Paul Collingwood welcomed the return of Hair.

The one-day captain said: "The times Darrell has umpired us I think he has done a very good job.

"He's good to talk to on the pitch, he's very good with the player and gets the majority of the decisions right."

And Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young added: "We're pleased to see Darrell back.

"We have always had a view that he is, in a technical sense, an excellent umpire, one of the best two or three in the world."