Morgan urges disputed Test review

Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove inspect the ball with Inzamam-ul-Haq

International Cricket Council president David Morgan has backed calls for a rethink over the result of the disputed 2006 Test between England and Pakistan.

The MCC World Cricket Committee said the decision to change the game to a draw was contrary to the laws.

The MCC wants the original result at The Oval - an England victory after Pakistan delayed playing in a ball-tampering row - to be reinstated.

Morgan said: "It's a decision that I was not happy with."

World cricket's governing body had changed the result of the controversial Test match at its chief executives' meeting in Dubai in July, stating the "result seemed inappropriate to the board".

However, the MCC, the custodians of the laws of cricket, said on Monday: "The ICC has no power under the Laws of Cricket to decide that results should be altered, whether it feels them to be 'inappropriate' or otherwise.

They (ICC) have not yet sought our opinion, when they will ask us we will see

PCB director general Salim Altaf

"The ICC's decision is wrong and sets a very dangerous precedent. Cricket is the worse for this decision."

And former England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Morgan said the ICC could reconsider the decision.

"I'll be very interested to actually read their minutes and I'm sure they will make that available and it's something we (the ICC) will have to consider very carefully," Morgan told the Australian Associated Press.

"It is made up of some of the world's top cricketers and chaired by (former England captain) Tony Lewis and I would be very interested in hearing what has been reported.

"I was president-elect and I didn't believe it was appropriate to change the result of the England-Pakistan match."

606 DEBATE

Should the ICC review its changed decision?

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is awaiting guidance from the ICC before making any comment on the matter.

"They (ICC) have not yet sought our opinion, when they will ask us we will see," said PCB director general Salim Altaf.

"At the moment the issue is between the ICC and the MCC. It was the ICC which reversed The Oval Test match's decision because it is the game's governing body."

The controversy began after tea on the fourth day of the fourth Test when Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq refused to lead his team back on the field after umpires Darryl Hair and Billy Doctrove enforced a five-run penalty for alleged ball-tampering.

Although Pakistan did briefly return, they later had to forfeit the match, handing England the game.

But the ICC made its ruling that the result should be a draw.