Farce added to the drama as Pakistan boss Saeed denies resignation reports

PAKISTAN'S preparations for today's NatWest Series decider were yet again mired in controversy and intrigue yesterday.

Team manager Yawar Saeed's on-off resignation dominated a morning in which former International Cricket Council president Ehsan Mani voiced strident criticism of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt.

Further adding to the tension ahead of today's game was the fall-out from an altercation between England batsman Jonathan Trott and Pakistan's Wahab Riaz in the Lord's nets before Monday's game.

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The incident was in danger at one point of delaying the start of a match which had been in doubt for several hours after Butt accused England's players of deliberately losing at the Brit Oval last Friday in return for "enormous amounts of money".

England captain Andrew Strauss strongly refuted the claim and has since made it clear he and his team will consider legal action against Butt if that is the best way to protect their reputations.

Tension was high on Monday lunchtime as another crisis point was reached in the ongoing controversy over spot-fixing which has followed the Pakistan team around throughout the second half of this summer's tour of England.

It was against that backdrop that tempers appeared to flare between Trott and Riaz – who was interviewed by police in the course of their spot-fixing inquiries last week.

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The spat was brought to the attention of match referee Jeff Crowe, who quickly ascertained it could be amicably resolved in time for the toss to take place before a match Pakistan went on to win by 38 runs to level the series at 2-2.

Earlier, reports surfaced from Pakistan that 75-year-old Saeed – media contact for the tourists throughout a difficult summer – had quit his post. But within minutes, he said: "I have not resigned – and neither has anyone else."

Mani, meanwhile, believes Butt's comments have done great harm to the game and believes now is the time for a restructuring of Pakistan cricket. He said: "It has been a terrible drama for cricket. What Mr Butt said was totally uncalled for, unsubstantiated and he has done a lot of harm for relationships between England and Pakistan, and Pakistan and the ICC.

"It is a strange appointment; he (Butt) is there at the pleasure of the patron of the PCB, who is the president of the country, and is only answerable to him.

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"I have been saying for a while that the whole government structure of Pakistan cricket needs some serious revamping."

As for the allegations themselves, Mani added: "Mr Butt needs to come up with evidence of proof to back up what he said. Pakistan cricket has very few friends and he is very good at losing them, as he has with England."

While critics have claimed the ICC should have acted quicker, Mani is confident they have done everything possible after charging Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammed Asif under their anti-corruption code following allegations that no-balls were deliberately bowled to defraud illegal bookmakers during the fourth Test at Lord's.

Mani, appointed as the Pakistan Cricket Board's representative to the ICC in 1989, said: "The game must go on, the ICC did what the PCB should have done...as soon as the three players came out...and suspend the players straight away.

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"It doesn't matter whether they are guilty or not, that will come out in due course.

"For the good of the game the PCB should have taken the lead, they failed to do that and the ICC did the only thing they could do and that was suspend the players."

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