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Karachi, Dec 24: The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it had withdrawn the nomination of John Reid as match referee for next year's three-Test series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka before it had received a request from the Pakistan cricket authorities.

According to a Dec 22 press release by Clive Hitchcock, cricket operation managers, the request by the PCB was not considered by the ICC.

John Reid was invited by the ICC to referee the series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Pakistan early next year. After the appointment was made in late November, Mr Reid was notified of a very important engagement in Auckland that required his attendance.

The date of the engagement coincided with the one-day internationals in Pakistan and as Mr Reid was unable to make himself available for the duration of the series, the ICC withdrew his nomination in early December.

This decision was taken by the ICC prior to any communication from Pakistan on the suitability of Mr Reid. "The request by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was not considered by the ICC, as there is no provision within the ICC regulations for a country to appeal against the appointment of a referee," Hitchcock says in the letter whose copy has been delivered to the PCB.

Interestingly, Hitchcock issued the statement on Dec 22, almost two weeks after the then PCB chairman Dr Zafar Altaf said John Reid was not welcomed in Pakistan after his attitude of "you show me the face and I show you the rule" during the Test series between Australia and Pakistan.

Sources in the PCB said it did not receive any communication from the ICC regarding the withdrawal of Reid's nomination for the series to be played between Feb 13 and March 17. "Its a news to me," a PCB spokesman said when informed of Hitchcock's letter regarding Reid. He added: "If Reid had been withdrawn before our letter to the ICC, why we were not informed. In fact, we have not been informed until now."

© Dawn