Pakistan want forfeited Test to be overturned

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has asked the ICC to change the result of the Oval Test against England, played in August 2006, which was officially awarded as a forfeit to England.

A senior board official confirmed to Cricinfo that the ICC cricket committee will consider an application from Pakistan in which they want the result of the Oval test overturned at their next meeting. The official said that Pakistan made the application last year and wanted the result declared abandoned or drawn.

England were declared winners of the Test after Pakistan forfeited the match on the fourth day in protest over umpire Darrell Hair's decision to penalise them for alleged ball tampering. It was the first forfeited result in Test cricket.

Pakistan refused to play on after tea once Hair had awarded England five penalty runs in their second innings for ball tampering. The issue escalated into a major row, with the ICC eventually dropping the ball tampering charges against Pakistan but suspending then captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq for four matches for misconduct. The ICC later also stopped posting Hair in international matches, a stance it has yet to change.

"We have made the application to the ICC and they will consider it at the next cricket committee meeting," the official told Cricinfo.

Pakistan's case, he added, was strengthened by the fact that England supported the application when the matter was discussed at the executive board meeting of the ICC.

"We have moved the application on the basis of the ICC dropping the ball tampering charges against our team," the official added.

Inzamam told BBC's Urdu service that Pakistan should take a lead from the Indian board and push to change the result of the Oval Test. Inzamam was referring to the ICC's decision to drop Steve Bucknor from the Perth Test between India and Australia after the BCCI complained over Bucknor's umpiring in Sydney. Inzamam said the Pakistan board should pressurise the ICC because the ball tampering charges were eventually dropped. England won the series 3-0.