Pakistan back Inzamam but replace manager by AFP

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Player:	Inzamam-ul-Haq
Event:	Pakistan in British Isles 2006

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DateLine: 12th September 2006

 

Pakistan's cricket board has given its full backing to captain Inzamam-ul Haq over the ball-tampering row that saw them forfeit a recent Test match in England but has replaced manager Zaheer Abbas, an official said Tuesday.

 

"The events of the Oval Test were considered at an executive committee meeting which showed full confidence in Inzamam," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters.

 

Inzamam is due to appear before an International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct hearing in London on September 27 and 28 in which he faces charges of ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.

 

It followed the Oval Test fiasco when Pakistan refused to take the field in protest at accusations of cheating by umpires Darrell Hair of Australia and Billy Doctrove of the West Indies.

 

The umpires awarded the match to England, the first forfeit in the 129-year history of Test cricket.

 

Inzamam, who has been retained as captain for next month's ICC Champions Trophy in India, faces a possible ban of 2-4 Test matches on the first charge and 4-8 one-day internationals if found guilty of the second.

 

Khan denied Abbas's replacement had something to do with media reports, accusing Abbas of mishandling the Oval fiasco.

 

"Abbas would be needed as a witness in the hearing and maybe if we go in appeal after the hearing he would be needed," said Khan, naming former Test opener Talat Ali as team manager for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy.

 

Khan warned Inzamam not to make any further comments on the matter.

 

"It would be tantamount to hitting on his own feet (shooting himself in the foot) if Inzamam said anything on the matter now," said Khan, referring to ICC's last week's warning to the PCB and Inzamam for making "unnecessary and inappropriate" comments over the issue.

 

Khan said Pakistan had protested over Hair's accusation of tampering.

 

"The fact is that Hair gave a report on the ball tampering issue to match referee Mike Proctor but we don't know whether he has written the word 'cheating' in it or not," said Khan.

 

When asked if Pakistan would boycott the ICC Champions Trophy if Hair was appointed one of the umpires for the one-day series, Khan said, "what steps we have thought about cannot be revealed at this point of time, we would disclose them after a decision on the hearing."

 

In addition to himself, England tour manager Abbas and the two bowlers in action when the ball at the Oval was controversially changed -- leg-spinner Danish Kaneria and paceman Umer Gul -- will appear as witness in the hearing, said Khan.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)