Madugalle wants more diplomacy

Ranjan Madugalle wants situations like The Oval Test to be handled more sensitively in the future © Getty Images

Ranjan Madugalle, the chief adjudicator in Inzamam-ul-Haq's ICC hearing, has called for more diplomacy if a situation similar to The Oval Test between England and Pakistan arises again.

At the bottom of his lengthy decision Madugalle, who is also the ICC's chief referee, says that every effort should be made to continue play before the ultimate call to abandon a match is taken. There is a feeling from the Pakistan camp that Darrell Hair was heavy-handed in the way he explained the situation to Inzamam, and his team, at the team interval and would not enter into any discussion.

In his judgment Madugalle said: "The umpires would do everything possible to try to defuse tensions in the dressing-room by explaining that a team is entitled to raise any grievance through the ICC but that it is not in their interests, or in the interests of the game, for the team to interrupt play."

And he continued: "The umpires and other officials should do everything possible to ensure the resumption of play. And they should not return to the field of play and then declare the match to be forfeited unless and until they are absolutely sure that the team is refusing to play the rest of the match. All other options should first be exhausted, involving discussions with the team captains and management."