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Holding resigns from ICC in protest to Oval decision

05/07/2008

West Indian bowling legend Michael Holding has resigned from the International Cricket Council's (ICC) cricket committee in protest.

Holding is disappointed the Oval Test match between England and Pakistan in 2006 has been changed, from a win by forfeit to England to a draw, following pressure from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

In that match umpire Darrell Hair accused the Pakistan team of ball tampering and after the tea interval the Pakistani's refused to take the field of play in protest at Hair's accusations.

Pakistan were later found innocent of the ball tampering allegations but Holding insists the result of the match should still have stood.

Holding felt it was wrong to go back and alter the history of a match two years after it had been played and that Pakistan should have thought about their actions more carefully on the day.

He said: "When you take certain actions, you must be quite happy to suffer the consequences. That game should never, ever be a draw.

"I have just written my letter of resignation to the ICC cricket committee because I cannot agree with what they've done."

Holding suggested that he disagreed with a umber of decisions the ICC had taken at their annual meeting.

The commentator added: "A lot of things that are happening today I don't want to be involved with, so I've moved on."

At the same ICC meeting Zimbabwe cricket were granted permission to carry on playing international cricket despite relations being severed with the English and South African boards.