England seeks full apology

England threatened legal action against Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt today unless he apologises for alleging English players deliberately lost the one-day international between the teams at The Oval last week.



The England and Wales Cricket Board and the Professional Cricketers' Association sent a letter to Butt on behalf of the team, seeking "a full and unreserved apology."



The England and Wales Cricket Board says in a statement that Butt has been advised that if a satisfactory response is not received, legal proceedings will be commenced against him without further notice.



England's players were outraged after Butt accused the team of throwing Friday's one-dayer at The Oval, which Pakistan won after an England late-order collapse to keep the five-match series alive at 2-1.



Butt's allegations came after an investigation was opened by the International Cricket Council following claims the scoring in Pakistan's innings on Friday was prearranged.



It was the latest incident to mar Pakistan's scandal-filled tour, which ended on Wednesday when England won the fifth and deciding one-dayer at the Rose Bowl in Southampton by 121 runs to claim the series 3-2.



The tour has been mired in controversy ever since three players, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were accused of spot-fixing allegations in the fourth test at Lord's last month.