Rameez outburst 'sparked protest'

A report in The Sunday Telegraph has claimed that comments made on Sky Sports by Rameez Raja during the fourth afternoon at The Oval may have sparked Pakistan's protest which led to them forfeiting the Test.

Rameez was outspoken on air about the actions taken by the on-field umpires and repeatedly cricticised their actions. "It was a big decision [by the umpires] and I totally disagree with what happened out there," he said at the time. "I am disgusted with the way the laws have been interpreted. You cannot tell whether the ball was scratched, unless you catch somebody in the process. It's a needless controversy."

As Rameez let rip, the article claims that the players inside the dressing-room quietly listened to the broadcast. "After watching the television and hearing what Rameez had to say, Inzamam was very angry and wanted to do something," a source inside the dressing-room was quoted as saying. "Inzy asked Younis Khan [Pakistan's vice-captain] what he thought about a protest and Younis said he would support whatever decision was made. Inzy then asked the team whether they agreed with staying off the field and everyone said they would support him."

Until August 2004, Rameez was CEO of the Pakistan Cricket Board.