Pakistan to press ahead with one-dayers, PCB source says

KARACHI, Aug 21 (Reuters) Pakistan will remain in England for the one-day series despite the unprecedented decision to forfeit the fourth test at the Oval, a senior Pakistan Board official told Reuters.

''The one-day series has nothing to do with the test,'' the PCB's Director of Cricket Operations Saleem Altaf said today.

The fourth test was awarded to England after Pakistan refused to return to the field after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove had imposed a five-run penalty against them for ball-tampering and changed the ball.

Altaf said the board officials and team management were handling the issue in England.

''But as far as I know there are no plans for the team to return home early,'' he said.

''The ODIs are part of our contractual obligation with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB),'' he added.

Pakistan would face a heavy penalty under the existing International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations if they refused to play the one-day series.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) is already facing the possibility of a penalty from the ICC after its team returned home from Sri Lanka without playing the tri-series with India following a bomb blast last week in Colombo.

Altaf stressed that relations between the two boards were excellent and he declined to comment on a report that the PCB had told the ICC it would not play again under the supervision of Hair.

A PCB source confirmed that Pakistan had in early 2005 sent emails to the ICC asking them to not post Hair in any of their matches as their players did not feel comfortable with him.

Relations between the Pakistani players and Hair came to a head last winter when Hair and fellow Australian umpire Simon Taufel were blamed for being ignorant of the laws in giving captain Inzamam run-out in the second test against England.

Inzamam was declared out after England's Steve Harmison, the bowler, knocked down the stumps at the striker's end when it seemed Inzamam was not attempting a run.

However, since last year, Hair has stood in every series played by Pakistan.

The five-match one-day series starts in Cardiff on Auust. 30, and is preceded by a solitary Twenty/20 match at Bristol two days earlier.

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