Shoaib Akhtar has been found guilty of tampering with the ball during Pakistan's 119-run victory in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Harare. The umpires reported Shoaib to Clive Lloyd, the match referee, after the game, in which Shoaib took seven wickets. "The umpires and I inspected the ball and it was clear to us that it had been scratched," Lloyd said after a hearing at Harare Sports Club. He added that that Shoaib had been "severely reprimanded" but that no further action would be taken.

The hearing was attended by Shoaib in the company of his manager Brigadier Khawaja Nasir and Waqar Younis. The two umpires, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and David Orchard gave evidence.

The tampering was first noticed after lunch on the last day when Zimbabwe were struggling to avoid defeat. Orchard examined the ball closely and was seen to be in discussion with Shoaib. It was apparent from television close-ups that the ball was badly scuffed on one side but in good condition on the other.

The fact that Shoaib has only been reprimanded means that he will not lose any of his match fee and will be able to play in the second Test which begins at Bulawayo on Saturday (November 16) and the five ODIs which follow.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd