England plan for life without Pakistan by AFP

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Event:

Pakistan in British Isles 2006

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DateLine: 25th August 2006

 

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have made contingency plans to play against an International XI should Pakistan pull out of Monday's Twenty20 international.

 

The ECB has also reached an agreement with another major nation, believed to be South Africa, to fulfil the five forthcoming one-day internationals should the tourists withdraw over the rumpus caused by the final Test ball-tampering row.

 

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan insisted in London earlier Thursday that the side would go ahead with the one-dayers.

 

Pakistan threatened to boycott the remainder of their tour if captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was banned as a result of charges of ball-tampering and bringing cricket into disrepute following their forfeiture of the fourth and final Test against England at The Oval on Sunday.

 

Already having to pay out ticket refunds from the Oval, the cost of cancelling the one-day series to the ECB is estimated at 10 million pounds.

 

Pakistan are due to play England in a Twenty20 match at Bristol on Monday before the one-day series proper starts Wednesday in Cardiff.

 

The ECB said it had "received approval from ICC to approach leading world players to form an international XI to play against England at Bristol on Monday in case of the unlikely eventuality of the England v Pakistan game being unable to proceed."

 

ECB chief executive David Collier said: "We are pleased that discussions strongly indicate the England v Pakistan International Twenty20 and the subsequent one-day series will proceed as planned.

 

"However given the current uncertainty concerning the scheduling of the Code of Conduct hearing and imminence of the International Twenty 20 it is prudent to examine all options to provide spectators with guaranteed play on Monday.

 

"ECB can also confirm that it has been in discussion with ICC and other full member boards to provide a further contingency plan for the NatWest (one-day) series. These discussions are well advanced, but it is hoped that the Pakistan team will be able to fulfil its commitments."

 

The Pro40 match scheduled for Monday between Nottinghamshire and Glamorgan has been brought forward a day to Sunday to allow major players from those clubs - notably New Zealand's Stephen Fleming - to play in the Twenty20.

 

Inzamam's disciplinary hearing, due to take place Friday in London, has been postponed because of the unavailabilty through personal reasons of ICC chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle to hear the case.

 

However, Shaharyar said there would be a meeting in London on Friday between legal representatives which he was confident would produce a new date for the hearing.

 

"A team of ICC legal experts are coming and they will meet with Pakistan's legal experts. We will know the new date of the hearing on Friday."

 

Earlier Thursday, Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer admitted he'd come close to quitting in the aftermath of the row.

 

Pakistan were incensed by the decision of on-field umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove to award England five penalty runs on Sunday because they believed the tourists had illegally altered the condition of the ball and refused to take the field in protest.

 

When they twice failed to come on after tea with the umpires it was ruled that Pakistan had forfeited the match - the first time this had happened in 129 years of Test cricket and England won the series 3-0.

 

The hearing delay was initially viewed as making it more likely the one-day series would go ahead as scheduled.

 

However, it soon became clear that Pakistan players were uncomfortable about proceeding with the tour while question marks against the conduct of their captain remained.

 

"The players did not want to play the one-day series with the sword of the hearing hanging over them but now they have realised the importance of playing," Shaharyar said Thursday, before the ECB revealed details of the contingency plan. "Our focus is now on cricket."

 

Pakistan did turn up for their warm-up match against Middlesex at Uxbridge, west London, on Thursday but the game was abandoned because of rain.

 

Veteran Australia official Hair has been the main target of the tourists' anger, with Shaharyar writing to ICC to request he be barred from standing in all future Pakistan matches.

 

But ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "It remains the role of the ICC and not our members to appoint umpires. The appointments are made without fear of favour."

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)