ICC: Inzamam-ul-Haq hearing postponed by AFP

---

Ground:	Kennington Oval, Kennington
Scorecard:	England v Pakistan
Player:	Inzamam-ul-Haq
Event:	Pakistan in British Isles 2006

---

DateLine: 23rd August 2006

 

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq's disciplinary hearing to answer charges of ball-tampering and bringing cricket into disrepute following his side's forfeiture of the fourth Test against England at The Oval, has been postponed.

 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said Wednesday that Friday's hearing in London had to be set for another date because of the unavailability of chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

 

ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed said: "The difficulty relates to the availability of Ranjan Madugalle to chair the hearing as he is dealing with a private and personal matter that requires his urgent attention.

 

"Pakistan and England, as the host country, have both expressed a preference for Ranjan to hear the case and on that basis we have agreed to the postponement.

 

"We have looked at potential alternatives but, as the ICC's Chief Referee and a person with immense credibility within the game, Ranjan is the most appropriate person to adjudicate in this matter.

 

"We are yet to decide upon a new date but the intense nature of the upcoming one-day international series between England and Pakistan is likely to make it extremely difficult to fit in a hearing during that period.

 

"I should stress that the reason for the postponement is related solely to Ranjan's availability. We would ask that his privacy is respected at this time," added Speed.

 

Details of the new date and the venue for the hearing will be announced in due course.

 

A delay would strengthen the chances of Monday's Twenty20 international between England and Pakistan in Bristol going head as scheduled.

 

There had been fears Pakistan could boycott the match and the subsequent five-game one-day series if Inzamam, who could be banned for one Test and/or two one-day internationals on the ball-tampering charge and two to four Tests or four to eight one-dayers on the disrepute charge, was found guilty.

 

It is estimated that the cost of a cancelled one-day series to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) would be 10 million pounds.

 

As captain, Inzamam is deemed responsible for the actions of his team which remained in the dressing room Sunday in protest at the action of Australian umpire Darrell Hair and West Indian colleague Billy Doctrove in changing the ball, which the tourists regarded as tantamount to saying they were cheating.

(Article: Copyright © 2006 AFP)