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Angry Speed
issues warning to Inzi
Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief
executive, has issued a terse warning to Inzamam-ul-Haq over making
public comments about incidents at The Oval pending the ICC's Code of
Conduct hearing.
"I have been very disappointed by some of the public comments that have
been made by members of the PCB, team management and captain
Inzamam-ul-Haq following the Oval Test," Speed said in a media release.
"Over the course of the last two weeks there has been a stream of
unnecessary and inappropriate public comment from the PCB, much of which
could be seen as prejudicial to the pending Code of Conduct hearing.
"We have in place a fair and independent process for dealing with the
matters that arose out of the Oval Test and all concerned parties will
have an opportunity to present their evidence during the hearing later
in September.
"Ahead of this hearing it is wholly inappropriate for officials or
players to comment on the issues that will be addressed, particularly as
the ICC Code of Conduct includes a specific offence of 'public criticism
of, or inappropriate comment on, a match-related incident or match
official'."
This raises the rather surreal situation in which Inzamam could find
himself facing Code of Conduct charges for commenting on a Code of
Conduct hearing that might turn out to have been directly caused by
incidents for which he might be cleared.
But there was no doubting that Speed had had enough. "The acute
international diplomatic and political sensitivity of this issue has
persuaded me not to lay a charge to date but despite the exceptional
circumstances I will not hesitate to lay a charge should further
inappropriate public comments be made ahead of the hearing."
He added that this issue had been raised twice in the last ten days with
Shaharyar Khan, the PCB's president, and that Mike Procter, the ICC
match referee, had been asked to speak to the Pakistan team and
management.
"There will be plenty of opportunity for Pakistan to put its side of the
story in the fair environment of the Code of Conduct hearing," Speed
concluded. "That is the appropriate forum for its views on these
matters." |