http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755’s summer tour of
England: ODI series on a knife’s edge
The ODI series between England and
Pakistan is on a knife’s edge after the men in green recorded another exhilarating win in the fourth match of the series at Lord’s. Yet the talk isn’t wholly about
Pakistan’s on-field work – the scandals and controversies that have plagued the series continue to find themselves getting substantial ink on paper.
The latest episode saw Wahab Riaz and Jonathan Trott clash on the eve of the match at Lord’s when the two teams were warming up. At this juncture a timely intervention by the management of the two teams ensured that the match
went on by preventing these two from coming to blows.
The visitors then produced another magical spell with the ball to claw back in the game after
England’s openers had blazed away to a 113 run start in their 265 run chase.
Pakistan eventually won the match by 38 runs to ensure that the last match at
Southampton turns into a virtual final with the series locked at 2-2.
Earlier in the day, PCB chairman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ijaz-Butt-c64128 embarked on an ill-advised spree where he alleged that
England’s players had conspired to throw the previous one day held at the Oval. He argued that the English cricket team should be under scrutiny as much as the Pakistani team.
Butt told international media on Monday that he had heard some bookies had solid evidence stating that the
England players were paid to lose the game at the Oval. Butt then reiterated his stance adding that he would not budge from what he had said earlier.
He expressed these sentiments on BBC radio on Tuesday, adding that whilst he had no evidence of wrongdoing he was been merely relaying bookmakers' information.
The PCB Chairman who has been under the spotlight since he took over the reins of the Board some two years ago further irked the English Cricket Board and International Cricket Council by saying, "There is a lot of talk in
the bookies circle, that some of the England players were involved in losing the match to Pakistan when at one stage five wickets fell for 17 runs".
An official statement by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) brushed aside Butt's suggestions.
The match and spot fixing scandal came to the fore when The News of the World claimed that some of the Pakistani players were involved in spot fixing during the fourth and final test match at Lord’s.
Subsequently, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Scotland-c756 Yard questioned four
Pakistan players over allegations of spot fixing in the test series against
England.
After the match at Lord’s, the England captain revealed that his players had found the going tough in the fourth match and a major reason was the fixing controversy.
"We were absolutely outraged by the allegations that surfaced yesterday and we refute them completely. We were very disturbed that someone would come out with those allegations without any proof to back them up," Strauss
said.
Meanwhile the coach of Pakistan cricket team, former fast bowler Waqar Younis, claimed that the altercation between Trott and Wahab Riaz was not a major concern and was sorted out immediately. He
added that it did not put the match under doubt at any stage.
"I don't really know what exactly was said but there was a little conclusion between the two players and it was sorted before the whole thing started, before the game started,"
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis told reporters.
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