KARACHI, Aug 25: Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan is losing patience with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and other players over their stance on a Twenty20 match and one-day series against England, a PCB official said on Friday.

Shaharyar, who has held discussions with the captain and his players, was unhappy that a question mark remained over their commitment to play in the wake of the ball-tampering controversy, the official said.

“The PCB is convinced the team should play the Twenty20 match and the five one-day games. But the response from Inzamam and some other players has not been very decisive,” said the official, who declined to be identified.

“Some players keep on insisting that we should first ensure the ICC does not take action against Inzamam on ball-tampering charges, which they say are not true.

“They insist their stand against Australian umpire Darrell Hair is justified, as is their reaction to not play after tea.”

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) have already announced contingency plans to play the Twenty20 game against a World XI and for the one-day series if Pakistan pulls out.

ECB Chief Executive David Collier, however, has stressed that talks between the England and Pakistan boards suggested the matches would go ahead as scheduled.

Manager Zaheer Abbas has also said the team would play the series but there has been no firm comment from Inzamam.

The PCB is also concerned it may face a hefty compensation claim if Pakistan refuse to play. The ECB says it lost 400,000 pounds on ticket refunds from the final day of the Oval test.

A board source in Lahore said the PCB was preparing for the ICC to impose a lenghty ban on Inzamam for bringing the game into disrepute.

Selectors had been told to start thinking about playing the ICC Champions Trophy in India in October without Inzamam, he said. The PCB has employed an English legal firm to represent Inzamam.

Pakistani members of parliament on Thursday backed Inzamam and his team in the ball-tampering row but experts say the silence of President Pervez Musharraf, who is also chief patron of the board, is significant.

“There has been no official statement from Musharraf as yet,” said former Test player, Sarfaraz Nawaz.

“Heads might roll after the dust settles.”—Reuters