PCB receives referee's report on Peshawar incident

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received the match referee's report on the unfortunate incident in Peshawar where England fast bowler Andrew Caddick allegedly abused umpire Sajjad Asghar and Pakistan.

Highly placed sources in the PCB said the Farrukh Zaman's detailed report carried the version of the umpire. The report carried his comments after he discussed the matter with the England management, including the bowler.

The exact contents of the report were not made available, the sources said the umpire admitted to the match referee that he was confused and didn't remember the actual words uttered by Caddick after he turned down a vociferous caught behind appeal in the dying minutes of the third day's proceedings.

"But the umpire, according to the match referee, has emphasised that the England pacer abused him and the country."

According to the report, the umpire claims that Caddick used words like `damn it', `bloody hell' and `shit'.

"These slangs are in normal use and cannot be considered as abuses," the PCB sources said.

The sources said the PCB has accepted England's version as a matter of misunderstanding but has passed on a quite word of being careful in future. The board has decided against prolonging the matter arguing that it might sour the series being played here for the first time in 13 years.

The PCB, on the contrary, are contemplating taking a disciplinary action against Sajjad Asghar after he breached the code of conduct by going to the media.

"It is sad but we have to issue him a show cause notice. As an umpire, he should have known that he was not supposed to talk to media.

"If he had any complaints, he should refer them to the match referee. Besides, if he thought the bowler was sledging the batsman he should have implemented the five-run penalty law.

"A letter will be dispatched to him later this week and he will be given 15 days to clarify his position."