Inzamam hit with ban

Inzamam-ul-Haq will sit out Pakistan's next four one-day internationals © Getty Images

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Inzamam-ul-Haq has been cleared of the charge of ball tampering but found guilty of bringing cricket into disrepute.

An International Cricket Council spokesman announced the outcome of the Pakistan captain’s disciplinary hearing at the Brit Oval, arising from events at the same venue when the fourth Test against England was abandoned last month.

Inzamam will be banned, pending appeal, for four one-day internationals for bringing the game into disrepute when he led a sit-in protest at the Brit Oval after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised Pakistan five runs for ball-tampering.

In clearing Inzamam of ball tampering, ICC chief referee Ranjan Madugalle said in a statement: “On the first charge of ball-tampered under paragraph 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, I find Mr ul-Haq not guilty.

Ranjan Madugalle punished Inzamam for leading the sit-in

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“Having regard to the seriousness of the allegation of ball-tampering - it is an allegation of cheating - I am not satisfied on the balance of probabilities that there is sufficiently cogent evidence the fielding team had changed the condition of the ball.

“In my judgment, the marks are as consistent with normal wear and tear of a match ball after 56 overs as they are with deliberate human interventions.”

Madugalle revealed he had taken the testimony of the expert witnesses into account when coming to his decision.

The statement added: “I have considered their evidence, honestly and fairly given, very carefully. But my duty is to form and give my own judgment.”

Madugalle’s findings back up Pakistan’s insistence they had not tampered with the ball.

But Inzamam could not escape punishment for the charge of bringing the game into disrepute after Pakistan’s protest led to the Test being foreited for the first time in history.

A smiling Inzamam departs the Brit Oval after learning his fate

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Inzamam’s ban will rule him out for the majority of next month’s Champions Trophy Tournament in India - a competition which Pakistan would be regarded as among the favourites to win.

Madugalle added: “He has been found guilty of twice deliberately refusing to come onto the field of play as a protest against the umpires.”

Pakistan have 24 hours to prepare an appeal against the ban.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said: "I hope that all parties can move on and accept those decisions and put them behind them.

“For us, we move on to the ICC Champions Trophy in India where we will have four weeks of great cricket.

"I hope that the players, the umpires and the cricket fans can enjoy a great festival of cricket in India as we all move on and put this issue behind us."