James Sutherland says Darrell Hair still has a future in the game © Getty Images Enlarge

James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has kept the door open on Darrell Hair's umpiring career by calling him an "outstanding" and "highly respected" official. Hair's position on the ICC's elite panel has come under heavy scrutiny since the England v Pakistan Test at The Oval, but Sutherland said he should continue to stand.

"I'm sure no matter what happens, whether he continues to umpire at international level or wherever else, he's still got a lot to offer cricket," Sutherland told AAP. "Darrell Hair is a highly respected international umpire. That's something for Darrell to think about and probably for the ICC to think about in due course, but hopefully no one will be making any rash decisions before proceedings get underway."

Mel Johnson, the head of Australia's umpires, said this week Hair could join the international panel, which is one level below the elite level, while there is also a chance he could become an assessor of umpires in England. The decision of Inzamam-ul-Haq's hearing this month into ball tampering allegations and bringing the game into disrepute at The Oval is expected to have a strong bearing on Hair's future in the Test arena.