Oval Test result changed

[SamL]

The result of the controversial 2006 Oval Test between England and Pakistan is to be changed, the BBC understands.

The match was awarded to England when the Pakistan team refused to come out onto the field after tea after being accused of ball-tampering.

But the International Cricket Council is expected to change the result to a draw at its meeting in Dubai.

BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said the move would open up "an absolutely enormous can of worms".

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The Pakistanis were accused of ball tampering and they did not come out to play. "The umpires went into their room and said 'You must come out to continue the game', they did not and, under the laws of any sport, if you refuse to play, you lose the game."

"Match abandoned, they're saying, as a draw, - well, abandoned on what grounds? It wasn't the weather, it wasn't anything else, it was that Pakistan wouldn't come out to play for whatever reason.

"That game has now been classified as a draw, so if you're losing, you sit in the dressing room, don't come out and you can get away with a draw."

The former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar Khan, who was at the centre of the incident in 2006, said he "would welcome any decision to change the result".

Khan also told BBC Radio 5 Live he resented claims that his side refused to come out and play, adding they were merely delaying their decision to return to the field after being accused of ball tampering.

He said: "I do resent the comments that we refused to go out to play.

"We delayed coming out to play and informed the English Cricket Board (ECB) and referee three times that we were ready to return to the field."

A formal announcement of the decision on whether to change the result of the test is expected on Thursday. Pakistan blamed Darrell Hair, one of the two on-field umpires on duty at The Oval, for the outcome of the game, which came to an end after tea on the fourth day with England on 293-4 in their second innings.

He and fellow umpire Billy Doctrove had earlier awarded England five penalty runs after ruling that the Pakistan team had been guilty of doctoring the ball to help it swing.

The game was awarded to England by forfeit, giving them a 3-0 series victory. But Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was subsequently cleared of the ball-tampering charge by an ICC tribunal, although he was banned for four matches for bringing the game into disrepute by initially refusing to resume play.

In the aftermath of the match, Hair, from Australia, was dropped from the ICC's elite umpiring panel, and took them to an industrial tribunal, alleging racial discrimination.

But after a week of evidence, the case collapsed and the allegation was withdrawn, with no financial pay-off being made.

Pakistan later agreed to play a Twenty20 match in England in 2012 and waive their fee for that match by way of compensation for the loss of the fifth day's play in the Oval Test.

Since the case, Hair has been involved in an ICC umpiring development programme and returned to Test cricket during the recent England v New Zealand series.

It is, however, unlikely that he will be assigned to future matches involving Pakistan.

Speaking in March, ICC general manager Dave Richardson said: "We would have to take a sensible approach. We will probably keep him away from Pakistan matches where we can."

[Corky]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Pakistan CHOSE not to come out after the incident, so they forfeited the match, meaning England were given the win by default. The only way a draw can be achieved is if the conditions come into it or the cpatains agree to end the match. England did not agree to end the match, it was entirely Pakistan's choice.

There is no way this can be allowed, and it will set a dangerous precedent.

[SamL]

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Pakistan CHOSE not to come out after the incident, so they forfeited the match, meaning England were given the win by default. The only way a draw can be achieved is if the conditions come into it or the cpatains agree to end the match. England did not agree to end the match, it was entirely Pakistan's choice.

There is no way this can be allowed, and it will set a dangerous precedent.

I agree.

Personally, I don't think a result should be changed after the match has finished. This doesn't happen in other sports so why are they trying to make it happen in cricket?

Whether Pakistan forfeited or not, they refused to continue the match causing the umpires to declare a forfeit. The umpires just enforced the rules.

I think it's ridiculous.

[Uncle Albert]

I think Cricket is becoming shit recently. Cricketers are after more money and are now saying that they will not play for England so they can go and play in the IPL, what a load of bollocks.

People are always moaning about footballers moving to clubs for more money, now look the bleeding cricketers are at it. A match next year has been organised and they are only playing for a stack of money. Does playing for your country in any sport mean anything now?

May aswell change the result of this match because everything else in cricket is starting to become a farce.

[DB11]

2 years ago. Like it matters if the result is changed

[SamL]

2 years ago. Like it matters if the result is changed

We would've won the series anyway regardless of what the result was. It's a bit pointless.

[Brainy]

We would've won the series anyway regardless of what the result was. It's a bit pointless.

I dare say if he was a cricket fan he'd be a little more concerned.

[C-man]

I think Cricket is becoming shit recently. Cricketers are after more money and are now saying that they will not play for England so they can go and play in the IPL, what a load of bollocks.

People are always moaning about footballers moving to clubs for more money, now look the bleeding cricketers are at it. A match next year has been organised and they are only playing for a stack of money. Does playing for your country in any sport mean anything now?

May aswell change the result of this match because everything else in cricket is starting to become a farce.

I see your point but most cricketers don't earn in a year what an average Premiership player earns in a week, so the money involved in the Stanford T20 game next year is a breath of fresh air for the sport.