21 Sep 2010

Botham says give Pakistan the boot

6:16 am on 21 September 2010

The former England star allrounder Sir Ian Botham says it's time for Pakistan to be banned from international cricket competition.

Botham's compared Pakistan to a cancer that needs to be removed after relations

between the teams turned poisonous following the Pakistan board chairman Ijaz Butt's suggestion the home side had thrown the third one-day international at The Oval.

Butt's inflammatory comments have caused tensions to boil over with Pakistan's Wahab Riaz and England's Jonathan Trott reportedly involved in an altercation in the nets just before the toss in today's one-day match at Lord's.

And England captain Andrew Strauss, who is renowned for being diplomatic, says his players are outraged.

Pakistan's tour has been engulfed in controversy since last month's accusations of spot-fixing following a Sunday tabloid sting.