<b>Test abandoned after ball dispute</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<b>Pakistan forfeited the fourth Test against England after the match descended into chaos when the tourists were penalised for ball-tampering.</b>
Pakistan were penalised five runs by the umpires and refused to take to the field after tea in protest.
The tourists later made a U-turn, but umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove would not return to the field of play.
Officials spent several hours trying to find a resolution but the match was eventually awarded to England.
<img src='http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41993000/jpg/_41993706_umpires270.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
<b>Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove examine the ball</b>
A joint statement from the ICC, England and Wales Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board read: "After lengthy negotiations which resulted in agreement between the teams, the match referee and both the ECB and PCB to resume the fourth Test tomorrow, it was concluded that with regret there will be no play on the fifth day.
"The fourth Test has therefore been forfeited with the match being awarded to England.
"In accordance with the laws of cricket, it was noted that the umpires had correctly deemed that Pakistan had forfeited the match and awarded the test to England.
"The Pakistan team was aggrieved by the award of five penalty runs to England.
"The award of those penalty runs for alleged interference with the ball is under review by the ICC match referee Mike Proctor, whose report will be considered in due course.
"ICC will be issuing a separate report concerning action which may be taken in relation to the forfeiture of the match by Pakistan."
England therefore took the series 3-0, but chief executive David Collier said the ECB expressed regret that "spectators, television viewers, and radio listeners [had been] deprived of play".
<b>He added that there would be a 40% refund for fourth-day tickets and a full refund for those holding tickets for Monday's play.</b>
Earlier Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan explained to the BBC why the team had chosen to make their protest.
"We simply said we would stay indoors for a few minutes then go out and play. We want to play but the umpires do not."
The row began when Hair and Doctrove stopped play to look at the condition of the ball after 56 overs with England on 230-3. It had begun to reverse-swing and they declared it had been altered artificially.
They penalised Pakistan five runs and allowed England batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood to select another ball.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was clearly upset and annoyed at the decision but play continued without further incident until tea.
After the interval, however, Pakistan failed to come out and the umpires removed the bails after walking onto the pitch for a second time.
Thirty minutes later Pakistan emerged and walked onto the pitch but were told to head back to the dressing room because the umpires would not be coming out.
Khan said the team had been insulted by the accusation of cheating.
"The umpires have concluded the ball was deliberately scuffed and we are absolutely 100% sure that is not the case," he said. <!--emo&:liar liar--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/liar.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='liar.gif' /><!--endemo-->
"What we feel very resentful about is that the captain was not informed something was going wrong with the ball and told to contain it.
"Umpires are within their rights to decide without consulting but there was no consultation with anyone and no evidence seems to have been given.
"One or two of the management staff have had a look and are convinced this is a ball which has been hit about for 56 overs.
"We think it's the kind of ball you'd expect to see and there is no evidence of deliberate scuffing. We hope the ball will be showed so people can make up their own minds about it."
Play officially ended for the day at 1813 BST with England - who have already won the series - on 298-4, 33 runs behind Pakistan.
Australian Hair is no stranger to controversy, having famously no-balled Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan for throwing in the Melbourne Test of 1995.
He also reported Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi for scuffing the pitch with his boots in the second Test against England last winter.
Relations between England and Pakistan have improved in recent years following the 1987 row between then captain Mike Gatting and Pakistani umpire Shakoor Rana in Faisalabad.
Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->
tupid--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/pakee.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='pakee.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/sad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='sad.gif' /><!--endemo-->