August 22, 2006	Tuesday	Rajab 26, 1427

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LONDON, Aug 21: Former England captain Nasser Hussain said he sympathised with Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq for refusing to play in the fourth Test. Nasser told the Daily Mail: “Did Darrell Hair actually see a member of the Pakistan team tampering with a cricket ball? Has he got proof?

“If he hasn't then he has made a massive error,” Hussain added: “If I had been accused of cheating in this way then, as long as I was sure of our innocence, I would have done exactly the same thing as Pakistan.

“I wouldn't have come out after tea, either. People have said that Pakistan should have waited until the close of play and then gone down the right channels, but they wouldn't have seen it that way.

“To Pakistan, if they had carried on playing, they would have been admitting their guilt.”

Former England captain Mike Gatting told Sky Sports that the ICC had erred in selecting Hair for Tests involving Pakistan.

“Perhaps the ICC might have been more understanding. It might have been they had the wrong man with Hair there. Because of his previous run-in with Pakistan it might have added a little difficulty. The idea of neutral umpires was meant to stop this.”

But in a seperate interview with the BBC, Gatting said once Pakistan had refused to come on to the field the officials had no choice. “It was very difficult once, unfortunately, Pakistan didn't come out, When the umpires got out to the middle they couldn't really do much else.”

Former Test umpire Dickie Bird said he would done everything possible to keep the match going. “I think they should have finished the Test match,” Bird said. “Pakistan have been badly hurt but the people who have to suffer are the fans.”—AFP