Dates set for Inzamam hearing

Umpire Darrell Hair and Inzamam-ul-Haq inspect the infamous ball © Getty Images

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Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq’s disciplinary hearing relating to events in the forfeited fourth Test against England has been confirmed for September 27 and 28.

Inzamam, 36, faces charges of ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute over a
two-day hearing with International Cricket Council chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed announced the scheduling at a press conference in Mumbai to launch the ICC Champions Trophy.

Inzamam faces the charge of ball tampering as the figurehead of the Pakistani team, after umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised the tourists for altering the condition of the ball on the fourth afternoon at the Brit Oval.

Having led a sit-in dressing room protest at the five-run punishment and changing of match ball, refusing twice to take the field after tea - actions which led to the first forfeiture in 129 years of Test cricket - Inzamam was also charged with bringing the game into direpute.

The former is a level two charge, for which the penalty is a fine of between 50 and 100 per cent of a player’s match fee and/or a one-Test or two-ODI ban.

The latter is a level three charge, for which the penalty is a ban of between two and four Test matches or four to eight ODI matches.

ICC president Percy Sonn insisted the hearing would allow all concerned parties to present their evidence in relation to both charges.

“The hearing will be a fair and independent process that will deal with the two cricket matters that arose out of the Oval Test match,” he said.

“The concerned parties will have an opportunity to present their evidence and after listening to this evidence the adjudicator will make his decision.”

Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer is also among those who will be called as a witness, meaning he will cut short his holiday.

“From a Pakistan point of view and Inzamam’s point of view it’s something that we need to sort out,” said Woolmer. “We need to get rid of these sort of issues very quickly.”

Further details of the location of the hearing and participants will be announced in due course.