QUOTE
Pakistan were penalised five penalty runs on the fourth afternoon of the Oval Test after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove changed the ball.
The umpires took action after inspecting the ball in mid-afternoon, prompting an animated discussion with Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Under law 42.3 of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) playing conditions, the umpires should award five runs to the batting side and change the ball when they think it has been interfered with.
England were 230-3 at the time and the batsmen, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, selected a replacement ball from the selection brought out by the third umpire.
An early tea was taken due to bad light with England on 298-4 in their second innings, needing another 33 runs to make Pakistan bat again.
Credit: sky.com
The umpires took action after inspecting the ball in mid-afternoon, prompting an animated discussion with Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Under law 42.3 of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) playing conditions, the umpires should award five runs to the batting side and change the ball when they think it has been interfered with.
England were 230-3 at the time and the batsmen, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, selected a replacement ball from the selection brought out by the third umpire.
An early tea was taken due to bad light with England on 298-4 in their second innings, needing another 33 runs to make Pakistan bat again.
Credit: sky.com
While I'm waiting for webistes to update this, I'll tell you what's happening and as a result of the above punishment Pakistan have refused to come out after the tea break, England came on (the two batsmen) and the umpires only for them to take the bails off. Pakistan come out only to come back off as the umpires are protesting I guess as the ICC are undermining their decisions.
This is known as the gentlemen's game and an it's sad. If you have to bitch, hold your tongue until the end of the game and then say your piece, not screw the fans. Take this and contrast to how England vs. Australia was played last year when Andrew Flintoff consoled Bret Lee and Shane Warne congratulating Andrew Flintoff on a good game.
Remember one Pakistan player was banned during last years Winter test series between England and Pakistan because of ball tampering...
EDIT New report does better justice to this BS situation:
QUOTE
FOURTH TEST, THE OVAL, DAY FOUR:
England 173 and 298-4 v Pakistan 504
England's bid to erase Pakistan's lead of 331 was bizarrely delayed when the tourists failed to come out after tea.
Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell were ready to go out with the hosts on 298-4 - 33 behind - in the fourth Test but the umpires returned to the pavilion.
Controversy had flared when the hosts were awarded five penalty runs and allowed to choose a replacement ball over allegations of ball-tampering.
Kevin Pietersen hit 96, Alastair Cook made 83 and skipper Andrew Strauss 54.
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LATEST UPDATES All times BST
By Tom Fordyce
1733: "Darrell Hair is refusing to budge. That's the impasse." Jonathan Agnew, Test Match Special
1730: Apparently a deal had been brokered between the two teams, but no-one thought to involve the umpires. The umpires apparently took the Pakistan no-show to mean that the match had been conceded.
"There are four stewards standing outside the umpire's dressing-room, and they're all big men." Simon Mann, Test Match Special
1728: Who'll be next to refuse to carry on? Maybe I'll sack this live report off too - throw my keyboard down and return to the BBC dressing-room. Only joking - the drama is incredible. I wouldn't do that to you.
1727: They're going back in! With no sign of the umpires, the Pakistan team are returning to the pavillion. Rumours are flying around that Darrell Hair is now refusing to come out.
"What a mess! What a mess!" Jonathan Agnew, Test Match Special
1726: Kevin Pietersen is taking photos of it all with his digital camera while the boos continue. At least someone's enjoying themselves.
1724: Here come the Pakistan team! They're trudging down the pavillion steps to a deafening chorus of boos from the Oval crowd. But where are the umpires?
1722: "A deal's been done - play is going to resume." Simon Mann, Test Match Special
1719: The covers are coming off. It looks like play could actually continue at some point. Still no official announcement about what's going on.
1718: Movement on the Pakistan balcony - there's a blazered official waving towards the pitch, as if to indicate that they might be coming back out. Has Morgan brokered some sort of deal here?
1716: Morgan is now sitting outside the Pakistan dressing-room, looking completely crestfallen. Pakistan team manager Zaheer Abbas is with him.
1712: There is now a huge crowd of photographers gathered on the outfield in front of the pavillion, long lenses trained on the Pakistan dressing-room. When umpires Hair and Doctrove started looking at the ball just after 1430 BST, who would have guessed this would be the result?
1711: Morgan goes into the Pakistan dressing-room.
1707: I don't think Pakistan are going to return. Akmal goes back into the dressing-room, Shoaib Akhtar leaves it. The door shuts again. David Morgan, chairman of the English Cricket Board, is in deep discussion with Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. You've never seen too more serious-looking men.
1704: The crowd are utterly baffled. There's been no official announcement whatsoever, and there's a growing sense of disbelief at the ground.
1702: There is chaos at The Oval. Nobody knows what has happened. Rumours are flying around. Has the match been awarded to England because Pakistan are refusing to come out? The England players are in their training kit, standing around on their balcony.
1659: The door of the Pakistan dressing-room remains shut. This incident is going to overshadow the entire series.
1657: The England players are walking off again, as are the umpires. The umpires have taken the bails with them. Could this be the end of the match?
1654: The umpires have walked to the wicket and so have the England batsmen. But still no Pakistan team. In fact, Kamran Akmal is sitting on the balcony reading a newspaper. This could be massive.
1651: The Pakistan dressing-room remains shut. There are urgent discussions going on in the match referee's office, but no sign of the players.
1645: Huge excitement at the ground as the impasse develops. The minutes are ticking by, and Pakistan aren't budging. The crowd have started to slow-handclap.
1643: This could be big. The umpires are out, the England batsmen are ready, and there's no sign of the Pakistan team. They're not coming out...
Credit: bbc.co.uk/sport
England 173 and 298-4 v Pakistan 504
England's bid to erase Pakistan's lead of 331 was bizarrely delayed when the tourists failed to come out after tea.
Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell were ready to go out with the hosts on 298-4 - 33 behind - in the fourth Test but the umpires returned to the pavilion.
Controversy had flared when the hosts were awarded five penalty runs and allowed to choose a replacement ball over allegations of ball-tampering.
Kevin Pietersen hit 96, Alastair Cook made 83 and skipper Andrew Strauss 54.
-----------------------
LATEST UPDATES All times BST
By Tom Fordyce
1733: "Darrell Hair is refusing to budge. That's the impasse." Jonathan Agnew, Test Match Special
1730: Apparently a deal had been brokered between the two teams, but no-one thought to involve the umpires. The umpires apparently took the Pakistan no-show to mean that the match had been conceded.
"There are four stewards standing outside the umpire's dressing-room, and they're all big men." Simon Mann, Test Match Special
1728: Who'll be next to refuse to carry on? Maybe I'll sack this live report off too - throw my keyboard down and return to the BBC dressing-room. Only joking - the drama is incredible. I wouldn't do that to you.
1727: They're going back in! With no sign of the umpires, the Pakistan team are returning to the pavillion. Rumours are flying around that Darrell Hair is now refusing to come out.
"What a mess! What a mess!" Jonathan Agnew, Test Match Special
1726: Kevin Pietersen is taking photos of it all with his digital camera while the boos continue. At least someone's enjoying themselves.
1724: Here come the Pakistan team! They're trudging down the pavillion steps to a deafening chorus of boos from the Oval crowd. But where are the umpires?
1722: "A deal's been done - play is going to resume." Simon Mann, Test Match Special
1719: The covers are coming off. It looks like play could actually continue at some point. Still no official announcement about what's going on.
1718: Movement on the Pakistan balcony - there's a blazered official waving towards the pitch, as if to indicate that they might be coming back out. Has Morgan brokered some sort of deal here?
1716: Morgan is now sitting outside the Pakistan dressing-room, looking completely crestfallen. Pakistan team manager Zaheer Abbas is with him.
1712: There is now a huge crowd of photographers gathered on the outfield in front of the pavillion, long lenses trained on the Pakistan dressing-room. When umpires Hair and Doctrove started looking at the ball just after 1430 BST, who would have guessed this would be the result?
1711: Morgan goes into the Pakistan dressing-room.
1707: I don't think Pakistan are going to return. Akmal goes back into the dressing-room, Shoaib Akhtar leaves it. The door shuts again. David Morgan, chairman of the English Cricket Board, is in deep discussion with Shaharyar Khan, chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. You've never seen too more serious-looking men.
1704: The crowd are utterly baffled. There's been no official announcement whatsoever, and there's a growing sense of disbelief at the ground.
1702: There is chaos at The Oval. Nobody knows what has happened. Rumours are flying around. Has the match been awarded to England because Pakistan are refusing to come out? The England players are in their training kit, standing around on their balcony.
1659: The door of the Pakistan dressing-room remains shut. This incident is going to overshadow the entire series.
1657: The England players are walking off again, as are the umpires. The umpires have taken the bails with them. Could this be the end of the match?
1654: The umpires have walked to the wicket and so have the England batsmen. But still no Pakistan team. In fact, Kamran Akmal is sitting on the balcony reading a newspaper. This could be massive.
1651: The Pakistan dressing-room remains shut. There are urgent discussions going on in the match referee's office, but no sign of the players.
1645: Huge excitement at the ground as the impasse develops. The minutes are ticking by, and Pakistan aren't budging. The crowd have started to slow-handclap.
1643: This could be big. The umpires are out, the England batsmen are ready, and there's no sign of the Pakistan team. They're not coming out...
Credit: bbc.co.uk/sport
What pisses me off is the Pakistan chairman bitching now that they were ready only for the umpires to hold 'em up! What bullshit. How dare someone have the arrogance to decide when or when not to play (the latter) and chastise others for taking a stand opposing them...ICC needs to stand firm or this sets a dangerous precedent...
