Cricinfo are reporting the game has been called off, but confusion remains about the result.
England v. Suspectactionstan: 4th Test, The Oval.
- Thread starter Rams
- Start date
Cricinfo now reporting sources from the The Oval saying the match is still on.
Funniest thing on a cricket ground since the Case of the Missing Leg Umpire
Donado said:
Funniest thing on a cricket ground since the Case of the Missing Leg Umpire
Sounds like a pisspoor Sherlock Holmes ripoff.
9.10pm After the news that the Test was off there are again further conflicting reports coming out of the The Oval with sources saying the match is still on. The amazing events continue to unfold.
8.50pm The Test match has finally been called off after a farcical afternoon and evening on the fourth day. The actual result is, as yet, unknown, but we will keep you posted.
ICC are a bunch of utter incompetent gimps.
8.50pm The Test match has finally been called off after a farcical afternoon and evening on the fourth day. The actual result is, as yet, unknown, but we will keep you posted.
ICC are a bunch of utter incompetent gimps.
Seems that Darrell Hair has gone home.
Just been announced that the 4th test has been awarded as an England victory, htey must have found some video evidence.
Confirmed on BBC and Sky Sports - although there is no mention of further evidence coming to light.
"The award of those penalty runs for alleged interference with the ball is under review by the ICC match referee Mike Proctor, whose report will be considered in due course."
DanNistelrooy said:
Result is not an issue, England have out played Pakistan in the series.
The issue is implication of cheating towards Pakistan without evidence.
Darryl Hair has history, check our posts from the first test onwards and last year.
See Athertons comments.
Would anyone of you understand and go on if you were accused of being a cheat to your face if you were given a suspended sentence? Its not about the five runs.
If Pakistan accepted the punishment and played the game without any protest they would have been accused of winning by cheating for years to come.
If Pakistan accepted the punishment and played the game without any protest they would have been accused of winning by cheating for years to come.
Exactly, he takes 4 wickets and they say he is a great bowler, they forget to mention he went for 120 in the process of getting the wicketsDonado said:
disappointing way for the game to end - i still think england would have got the draw though.
Experts on test controversy
Experts on Oval controversy
For the first time in cricket history, a Test match was forfeited after Pakistan refused to take to the field in protest at being penalised for ball-tampering.
The match was awarded to England, who took the series 3-0, but the fall-out from Pakistan's and umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove actions has everyone talking.
BBC Sport rounds up the views of former players and officials on the controversy.
Geoffrey Boycott
Former England batsman and TMS commentator
The ICC must be blind or stupid not to have realised that there is history between Darrell Hair, the umpire who accused them of changing the nature of the ball, and Pakistan.
There were mutterings after the Headingley Test that Pakistan didn't like Hair's attitude.
Pakistan regard Hair as an officious umpire and they don't like his style of man-management.
It should have been obvious to the ICC that appointing him to this series created a situation like a volcano waiting to erupt
Boycott was writing in the Daily Telegraph
Ian Botham
Former England captain and Sky Sports commentator
They are the mandarins who fiddled while the game slid towards anarchy at The Oval yesterday.
The ICC are the alleged governing body who left 23,000 paying spectators and millions of people tuning into TV and radio coverage, completely in the dark.
And they are the administrators who should have sorted out an unholy mess by separating hard fact from innuendo and supposition at the fourth Test which will now be remembered for all the wrong seasons.
They needed to make a statement specifying exactly why the ball was changed, what they had seen, who was involved and how often.
Otherwise the whole Pakistan team stands accused of cheating
Botham was writing in the Daily Mirror.
Imran Khan
Former Pakistan captain
Pakistan captain Imzamam-ul-Haq and the team were in their right to protest.
The pride of an entire people has been tarnished by his ludicrous and highly insensitive decision
Imran was writing in The Nation newspaper
Nasser Hussain
Former England captain
Did Darrell Hair actually see a member of the Pakistan team tampering with a cricket ball? Has he got proof?
If he hasn't then he has made a massive mistake.
If I had been accused of cheating in this way then, as long as I was sure of our innocence, I would have done exactly the same thing as Pakistan.
I wouldn't have come out after tea, either.
People have said that Pakistan should have waited until the close of play and then gone down the right channels, but they wouldn't have seen it that way.
To Pakistan, if they had carried on playing, they would have been admitting their guilt.
Hussain was writing in the Daily Mail.
Rameez Raja
Former Pakistan batsman and TMS commentator
The star of the show was definitely umpire Darrel Hair, but as a villain of the piece.
His arbitrary and insensitive style of judgment here at The Oval sparked an absolutely needless controversy that has put the Test match in serious jeopardy and brought infamy to the game.
Raja was writing in The Nation newspaper.
Dickie Bird
Former Test umpire
I think they should have finished the Test match.
Pakistan have been badly hurt (by the accusations) but the people who have to suffer are the fans.
I would have tried to keep it going for the sake of public, they have paid the money.
After the match you all get round the table and thrash this out.
Bird was speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.
Experts on Oval controversy
For the first time in cricket history, a Test match was forfeited after Pakistan refused to take to the field in protest at being penalised for ball-tampering.
The match was awarded to England, who took the series 3-0, but the fall-out from Pakistan's and umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove actions has everyone talking.
BBC Sport rounds up the views of former players and officials on the controversy.
Geoffrey Boycott
Former England batsman and TMS commentator
The ICC must be blind or stupid not to have realised that there is history between Darrell Hair, the umpire who accused them of changing the nature of the ball, and Pakistan.
There were mutterings after the Headingley Test that Pakistan didn't like Hair's attitude.
Pakistan regard Hair as an officious umpire and they don't like his style of man-management.
It should have been obvious to the ICC that appointing him to this series created a situation like a volcano waiting to erupt
Boycott was writing in the Daily Telegraph
Ian Botham
Former England captain and Sky Sports commentator
They are the mandarins who fiddled while the game slid towards anarchy at The Oval yesterday.
The ICC are the alleged governing body who left 23,000 paying spectators and millions of people tuning into TV and radio coverage, completely in the dark.
And they are the administrators who should have sorted out an unholy mess by separating hard fact from innuendo and supposition at the fourth Test which will now be remembered for all the wrong seasons.
They needed to make a statement specifying exactly why the ball was changed, what they had seen, who was involved and how often.
Otherwise the whole Pakistan team stands accused of cheating
Botham was writing in the Daily Mirror.
Imran Khan
Former Pakistan captain
Pakistan captain Imzamam-ul-Haq and the team were in their right to protest.
The pride of an entire people has been tarnished by his ludicrous and highly insensitive decision
Imran was writing in The Nation newspaper
Nasser Hussain
Former England captain
Did Darrell Hair actually see a member of the Pakistan team tampering with a cricket ball? Has he got proof?
If he hasn't then he has made a massive mistake.
If I had been accused of cheating in this way then, as long as I was sure of our innocence, I would have done exactly the same thing as Pakistan.
I wouldn't have come out after tea, either.
People have said that Pakistan should have waited until the close of play and then gone down the right channels, but they wouldn't have seen it that way.
To Pakistan, if they had carried on playing, they would have been admitting their guilt.
Hussain was writing in the Daily Mail.
Rameez Raja
Former Pakistan batsman and TMS commentator
The star of the show was definitely umpire Darrel Hair, but as a villain of the piece.
His arbitrary and insensitive style of judgment here at The Oval sparked an absolutely needless controversy that has put the Test match in serious jeopardy and brought infamy to the game.
Raja was writing in The Nation newspaper.
Dickie Bird
Former Test umpire
I think they should have finished the Test match.
Pakistan have been badly hurt (by the accusations) but the people who have to suffer are the fans.
I would have tried to keep it going for the sake of public, they have paid the money.
After the match you all get round the table and thrash this out.
Bird was speaking on BBC Radio Five Live.
Dowders_Jnr said:
Ha Ha!
darell hair has a bad history with all the sub continent teams.
calling murli for chucking, banning sehwag for appealing, and now this.. just
highlights of his bias against the sub continent!!
he's an attention seeking, racist piece of sh*t.. who has finally managed to bring a test match to a standstill!!
to let him be part of the ICC "elite" panel of umpires is a disgrace!!
calling murli for chucking, banning sehwag for appealing, and now this.. just
highlights of his bias against the sub continent!!
he's an attention seeking, racist piece of sh*t.. who has finally managed to bring a test match to a standstill!!
to let him be part of the ICC "elite" panel of umpires is a disgrace!!
Or he is one of the only Unpires to act despite knowing the stropfest that will ensue.
I have no idea of the ins and outs of the current controversy but he was 100% right to call Murali a few years ago. He was just the only one with the balls to call someone for controvening the rules.
I have no idea of the ins and outs of the current controversy but he was 100% right to call Murali a few years ago. He was just the only one with the balls to call someone for controvening the rules.
Well theres a press conference by the pakistani team between 1430 and 1530, and the ICC will issue a statement today. What i find strange is how none of the cameras picked it up, or why the umpires just havent come out in the open saying that he saw 'MR X' to do something to the ball
Wibble said:
there are many more ways of affecting a rule.. umpires report, official complaint..
Mr. Darrel hair has a knack of hogging the limelight by digging up closed issues, right there on the pitch
and the fact that all his "martyr-like" acts are against our players from the subcontinent reeks of bias
Well, Inzis been charged with bringing the game into disrepute... hmmm
Pakistan cheating? Surely not?
Oh, hang on....
I'm affraid to say but history has shown Pakistan & India have cheated with ball tampering. Ask Imram Kahn, Waqar, Dravid and Tendulkar.
Even England (re: Atherton dirty pocket....) have a cloudy track record.
So what ever you say about Hair, facts are facts. And lets keep it with the facts.
2 things:
1) Inzaman claims the ball was roughed up by several boudries and a 6. This despute the lack of boundries at that time of play and despite not one 6 being hit in the innings up to then.
2) ICC have charged Inzaman with artificially tampering with the ball. (We must therefore presume the umpires saw him tamper with the ball.)
Oh, hang on....
I'm affraid to say but history has shown Pakistan & India have cheated with ball tampering. Ask Imram Kahn, Waqar, Dravid and Tendulkar.
Even England (re: Atherton dirty pocket....) have a cloudy track record.
So what ever you say about Hair, facts are facts. And lets keep it with the facts.
2 things:
1) Inzaman claims the ball was roughed up by several boudries and a 6. This despute the lack of boundries at that time of play and despite not one 6 being hit in the innings up to then.
2) ICC have charged Inzaman with artificially tampering with the ball. (We must therefore presume the umpires saw him tamper with the ball.)
NoupWibble said:
Before that test match took place, it was already agreed that Umpries won't call wrong actions during the match but only after the match has been finished. (Talking *** the first time he called Murali) He went ahead and decided to break that agreement. This was pointed out by the other umprire in his auto-biography. Even the Don criticised him for this.
History has got nothing do with this.Rams said:
Apparently in his match report, Hair has not pointed out any single player or mentioned any incident he witnessed himself. Untill now only reason he has to accuse Pakistan of cheating is the condition of ball. Not enough. Thoughts of other umpire would be interesting to hear as well.
It can never be proven whether Hair is racist or not. Though it is entirely plausible that he is. If he is such a cnut with the rules, then why not penalise aussies for sledging by 5 runs penalties and stuff.
Spot on.crappycraperson said:
Im sorry but this time i sort of slightly side with the Pakistanis. From what i've read a big deal was made of the reverse swing Pakistan introduced with Waqar and Wasim. They were made out to be cheats an all that because no one else knew what the feck it was. And like Imran Khan said last summer England won the Ashes because of reverse swing. Call it racism or whatever, there are double standards. I remember our players getting penalised for over appealing, whereas the Aussies get away with anything.
Since they have had to change to rules and given Muali a number of remedial training courses to avoid him chucking doesnlt this mean that Haire was 100% right to call him.
I'd say so.
If it had been an Aussie chucking so blatantly it would have been called almost without comment and without the race card being produced.
I'd say so.
If it had been an Aussie chucking so blatantly it would have been called almost without comment and without the race card being produced.
Rams said:
Sonlt be silly Rams. Racism is a far more likely explanation.
Imran Khan is a fecking moron. It has nothing to do with the entire country of Pakistan rather the players who were accused of ball tampering. He is an absolute moron and people like him are the reason why Pakistan cricket has had a bad reputation in the past.Sultan said:
They may of been in their right to protest but they went about it completely the wrong way either they should of walkde off straight away or they should of made their feelings heard at the end of the days play. Hair only enforced the rules and the it is a vendetta against him by the Pakistan media. There was another umpire there as well how come nothing has been said about him?
They refused to play and under the laws the game had to be given to England and once the game had been given to England they can't exactly start it back up contrary to the rules of the game. Hope they throw the book at Inzi even if it means that they go home.
amolbhatia100 said:
Waqar has been found guilty of ball tampering in 1995 I think.
I myself spoke to Wasim Akram who told me at the time that Pakistan and other teams from the sub continent “bend the rules” to use his own words. Something he was not proud of. Everybody who plays professional cricket knows this. One of the reasons why the players don’t enjoy touring the sub continent. (It used to be very bad in county cricket as well (as long with preparing ridiculous pitches etc.) but from what I gather it has improved over the past 10 years or so with the involvement of Sky and the tightening of rules.)
So for Pakistan to act all innocence and even used the national pride story to gain public support is hypocritical in the fullest.
I have nothing against Pakistan. In fact I have a soft spot for them as I have met several of their (ex) players. They also produce great cricketers who know how to entertain, terrific to watch. But I am afraid that their cricket is tainted by corruption just as is the whole society in Pakistan, from politics onwards.
Because of the nature of the game cricket will always be vulnerable, whether it’s to match fixing or to cheating, etc.
Wibble, its generally been acknowledged that Hair's been a complete prick and a stubborn ass regarding this ball tampering controversy.Wibble said:
Making a decision without proof and therefore spoiling the test match for all the pakistanis and the English supporters present was foolish.
I'm very surprised he's in the 'Elite panel'.The ICC needs to get its act together.Latest reports and surveys suggest that cricket is actually DROPPING on the popularity charts due to their incompetence and their meddling with the game.The whole shit with the substitutes and 20-20's distanced the game from its original supporters.
Is there proof?We all know that its more than a possible scenario that they actually did tamper with the ball but surely the umpires need proof?Wibble said:
If they do have it and are willing to disclose the details I'd still blame Hair for taking matters into his own hands and stubbornly refusing to come down even when the Pakistanis were ready after tea.
As I said I didn't see this latest one and I was only commenting on the original event that seems to have coloured the subcontinent against him. In that descison he was 100% correct as subsequent events have show.
However, I can't help thinking that in the latest controversy Pakistan compounded the ball tampering, which they could have defended through the proper channels later, by refusing to take the field.
Once they didn't show and the umpires removed the bails surely it was all over? Backing down would only further erode the power of the umpires.
Could you imagine a football ref backing down after calling a game off at half time because the away side refused to come out for the second half simply because they disagreed with a ruling?
However, I can't help thinking that in the latest controversy Pakistan compounded the ball tampering, which they could have defended through the proper channels later, by refusing to take the field.
Once they didn't show and the umpires removed the bails surely it was all over? Backing down would only further erode the power of the umpires.
Could you imagine a football ref backing down after calling a game off at half time because the away side refused to come out for the second half simply because they disagreed with a ruling?
Donado said:
Maybe it is different in cricket but players surely don't get to debate refs rulings during the game? Imagine Wayne Rooney coming back on after being sent off to beg for a change of mind.
Murali does chuck, I am with you there. What I was referring to was the fact that it was decided not to call players for wrong actions during the game but report them after the game and take it from there. Hair for whatever reason decided not to follow that agreement.Wibble said:
And this was not just some wrong decission. They were accussed and penalized for cheating. Umpires did not even talk to the Captain, just called out the balls and penalised them 5 runs.
Right or wrongly, this issue is being played with a racial angle here. Papers today are full of collumns regarding "Us vs them" and stories how one rule for whites and one for others. I would be surprised if Pakistan just accept any ICC punishment or don't press for remvoal of Hair.
The reason Inzaman has been called up is because it seems apparent that Hair has no concrete evidance against a certain player but still feels the ball was tampered with, so as Captain, Inzi has to face the charges.
Only proof is the condition of the ball. No video evidence from 26 cameras in the stadium.malcolm31337 said:
crappycraperson said:
I know. Now the question do the ICC trust the umpires judgement, did he see something that no one else saw, or has he got it completely wrong and wrongfully accused Pakistan of cheating?
I'm surprised nothing has been mentioned about England players keeping binochulared eyes on the Pakistani fielders! Fair enough if they suspect the Pakistanis without any shred of evidence but if this is the 'love' offered by the English then lets just drop the charade that all is well between the Pakistanis and the English.
All is not well, thanks a lot English players for your trust.
Now, I must put a tap on my wife to make sure she's not cheating on me, what with me being English and her being Pakistani and all.
All is not well, thanks a lot English players for your trust.
Now, I must put a tap on my wife to make sure she's not cheating on me, what with me being English and her being Pakistani and all.
Dumpstar said:
Well, you obviously didnt read my previous post, but maybe this will help you understand why...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/5273582.stm
National pride my arse.
Btw, a lot of Pakistani women are very good looking. So good on ya!