Fletcher Drawn Into Fourth Test Dispute
England coach Duncan Fletcher has been drawn into the ball-tampering row involving Pakistan, after it emerged he visited the match referee before play started on Sunday.
A spokesman for the England and Wales Cricket Board said Fletcher spoke with match referee Mike Procter but “no complaint was made about the condition of the ball.”
The ball was only 18 overs old at the end of the Saturday’s play.
Umpire Darrell Hair made his decision to pull up Pakistan for ball-tampering in the 56th over of England’s innings.
Former England seam bowler Angus Fraser said that in his opinion the timing of Fletcher’s visit to the referee was important.
“If he (Fletcher) has said something, I don’t like that at all,” Fraser said.
“You let the game go on, you don’t go into match referees bickering about this and that and trying to influence decisions, you just get on with the game and if you’ve got a point to make, you make it at the end of it.”
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer has suggested the one-day series against England could be in doubt if Inzamam-ul-Haq is given a ban for his role in the dispute.
Inzamam faces a charge of bringing the game into disrepute and of changing the condition of the ball.
As captain, he is deemed responsible for the conduct of the entire team.
