Hastings named match referee

Controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) got a sigh of relief when the International Cricket Council (ICC) named New Zealand's Brian Hastings as match referee for next month's Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The ICC also appointed Englishman John Hampshire and Zimbabwean Russel Tiffin as umpires for the Dhaka and Chittagong Tests.

Pakistan leave for Dhaka on Jan 2 for two Tests and three one-day internationals. It will be Pakistan's maiden Test tour against the newest Test nation who got into the ICC fold last year.

The three ICC officials are some of the few who have not raised any suspicion against the bowling action of Shoaib, rated as one of the quickest in the world.

Shoaib, who has been reported twice this year, faces a oneyear suspension if reported again after the PCB decided not to utilize the services of Michael Holding as bowling advisor in accordance with Stage 2.

However, Inzamam-ul-Haq doesn't have happy memories of Hastings who fined him 50 per cent of his match fee during the home series against Sri Lanka in March 2000 for accusing the opponents of sledging.