Updated on
Summary
Legal action will be taken against Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt unless he apologises over comments insinuating English cricketers threw the third one-dayer. The revelation came as relations between the two teams sunk to their lowest ebb when players fought in the nets before Monday's fourth game. Butt said England's batting collapse at The Oval, leading to a 23-run loss to Pakistan, had been pre-determined according to illegal Indian bookmakers. England and Wales Cricket Board chief David Collier said: ''We are looking for an apology. If it does not come we'll look at other options.'' Butt showed no signs of bowing to England's pressure for an apology, instead inflaming the situation by threatening to also sue them. ''They said they will sue me - I will sue them,'' Butt said. ''This is something totally wrong definitely a conspiracy against Pakistan cricket.'' During warm-ups before the fourth ODI, England batsman Jonathan Trott reportedly grabbed Pakistan's 12th man Wahab Riaz by the throat and asked him: ''How much money are you going to make from the bookies?'' Riaz had to be restrained by England batting coach Graham Gooch before the altercation got out of hand, but other Pakistani players were surrounding Riaz, and captain Shahid Afridi later threatened to boycott the Lord's match - which was played and won by Pakistan to level the five match-series at 2-2.
