Darrel Hair signals five penalty runs (PC: Twitter)
On this day, sixteen years ago, Pakistan refused to continue playing in the Test match after umpire Darrel Hair docked them five runs for alleged ball-tampering. It was the first forfeited red-ball fixture in the history of the game which resulted in an England win.
Pakistan positioned itself well ahead of the allegations
Pakistan elected to field first and created havoc by dismissing England for a low total of 173. Umar Gul and Mohammad Asif scalped four wickets apiece.
In response, the visitors got off to a strong start with Mohammad Hafeez (95) and Imran Farhat (91). In the middle-order, Mohammad Yousuf further propelled the team to score 504 and take a mammoth lead of 331 runs.
Hair alleges Pakistan for ball-tampering
In the second innings, England displayed strong resistance on the back of Sir Alastair Cook (83) and Kevin Pietersen (96). In the 56th over of the innings, umpire Hair alleged Pakistan of ball-tampering and docked them five runs.
The match continued with the new ball until the Tea Break, with England on 298/4, and still trailing by 35 runs.
England awarded a win, after Pakistan refuse to take the field
England batters Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell along with the on-field umpires waited 20 minutes for the Pakistan team.
Afterwards, the umpires even went to the Pakistan dressing room to ask Inzamam Ul Haq about their intent to take the field. By the time Pakistan agreed to continue playing, Hair knocked the bails off and awarded the match to England.
Inzamam facing media after the match
Two years later at the request of PCB the ICC board turned the result into a draw. However in the following year, on the MCC's recommendation, ICC reinstated the original result.
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