Pakistan committee to probe Oval fiasco by AFP

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Scorecard:	England v Pakistan
Event:	Pakistan in British Isles 2006

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DateLine: 13th February 2009

 

Pakistan cricket has appointed a committee to investigate the controversy behind the 2006 Oval Test, whose result was twice changed, a senior official said Friday.

 

The match was awarded to England when umpires Billy Doctrove and Darrell Hair ruled that Pakistan had forfeited the match after captain Inzamam-ul Haq refused to take the field following accusations of ball tampering.

 

Pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) saw the result of the Test match changed from an England win to a draw by "match abandoned" by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in July.

 

However, the ICC board this month reversed that decision after pressure from Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which said it believed the move contravened the laws of cricket and set a "very dangerous" precedent.

 

"The three-man committee will be headed by former captain Aamir Sohail, with Wasim Bari and Sultan Rana, to determine who was responsible for the matter," said Salim Altaf, PCB chief operating officer.

 

The announcement came after PCB chairman Ijaz Butt on Wednesday stressed the need for further inquiry into the controversy.

 

"Something was lacking from the Pakistan side," said Butt. "Had the manager or captain taken up the matter with the match referee, the fiasco could have been avoided," said Butt.

 

"Our captain took a stand without consulting the referee and umpires awarded the Test to England -- a match which Pakistan could have won."

(Article: Copyright © 2008 AFP)