Pakistan board to warn chief selector after outburst

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will reprimand its chief selector Wasim Bari for an outburst against seasoned English umpire David Shepherd.

"Bari will be reprimanded for his statement which was in bad taste," senior PCB official Abbas Zaidi told Reuters after Bari described Shepherd as "too old" and had urged him to retire.

The former Pakistan captain drew the ire of International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Malcolm Speed on Saturday for his statement after Pakistan lost a tri-series final to world champions Australia in the Netherlands on August 28.

Bari lashed out after Shepherd gave two contentious decisions against Pakistani batsmen Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana in a low scoring final that Australia won by 17 runs.

Speed warned Bari that he had stepped out of line and in future would face penalties for such an outburst.

He also said the ICC would ask the PCB to take some punitive action to discourage such behaviour in the future.

Zaidi said that since the ICC had not taken any harsh action against the chief selector, who is presently in England, the PCB would also reprimand him.

"I think Bari was a bit emotional in his statement after watching Pakistan lose the final and I think a reprimand would be suffice now," Zaidi said.

Bari violated the ICC code of conduct for players and officials that forbids them from publicly criticising umpires, match officials or any umpiring decision.

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