Cricket
'Frustrated 'Broad charged
2010-08-09 09:31
England - England fast bowler Stuart Broad was summoned to a disciplinary hearing after throwing the ball at Pakistan's Zulqarnain Haider on the third day of the second Test at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Broad was up before Sri Lankan match referee Ranjan Madugalle on a charge of inappropriately throwing the ball at an opponent.
He petulantly hurled the ball at Test debutant Zulqarnain, then on 22, at the end of an over and hit Pakistan's wicketkeeper on the shoulder.
Broad then half-heartedly apologised by briefly raising his hand.
"Cricket is a gentleman's game but I think they (England) got frustrated," Pakistan captain Salman Butt told reporters after stumps.
"It's not good to see people throwing balls intentionally at others, and not even excusing properly."
Butt, asked if Broad had failed to make a proper apology, replied: "Yes."
England off-spinner Graeme Swann defended Nottinghamshire team-mate Broad by saying: "Knowing Broady as I do, he certainly didn't have any malice behind it - and he can't throw the ball hard enough to hurt anyone anyway.
"He aplogised straightaway," added Swann, who took a Test-best six wickets for 60 runs on Sunday. "It was just a sign of the frustrations that were going on."
An England spokesman confirmed the 24-year-old Broad had been charged but refused to say anything more ahead of a decision expected to be announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC) later on Sunday.
Broad could be fined 50 percent of his match fee or be banned for one match.
Test debutant Zulqarnain went on to top-score with 88 as Pakistan rallied to end the day on 291 for nine -- a lead of 112 -- after they were bowled out for just 72 in their first innings.