Cricket: Cadd told to cool it after getting 'ump.

Byline: Mike WALTERS

WE'VE had teargas, flying bottles, plagues of flies and Alec Stewart named in a match-fixing inquiry.

Yet somehow an England cricket tour of Pakistan would be incomplete without a rollicking good umpiring controversy - and, yesterday in Peshawar, normal service was resumed.

On the Richter scale, it did not quite match Mike Gatting and Shakoor Rana's little tiff in 1987 and it should not lead to ambassadors being recalled or strained diplomatic relations.

But when Andy Caddick's frustration spilled over in the Shahi Bagh Stadium yesterday, it was as if the dam containing all England's old misgivings about Pakistani umpires had burst.

In truth, it was an unedifying spectacle which does cricket's image few favours.

Caddick's chuntering at umpire Sajjad Asghar has blown a gaping hole in skipper Nasser Hussain's manifesto promising that England would show no public dissent against decisions which go against them on this tour.

And make no mistake: if there is any repeat of yesterday's tantrum at next week's first Test in Lahore, when the slightest flicker of protest will be subject to cross-examination worldwide, Caddick might not be so lucky.

Last night Sajjad, appeased by a prompt climbdown from the Somerset paceman, said: "Caddick apologised, I have accepted his apology and therefore I am not going to make an official complaint."

Match referee Farrukh Zaman, who was keenly aware of England's sensitivity to umpiring decisions in this country, also resorted to clemency where hanging judges might have had a field day. He said: "No action will be taken in this instance, but I will be having a quiet word with the players and telling them to cool it down."

Even Shakoor Rana himself, told of the bust-up at home in Lahore by Mirror Sport, was not inclined to condemn Caddick.

Shakoor said: "It is a shame, but it's not for me to tell England how they should behave now.

"It is important that the Test matches are played in a good atmosphere and we don't want any more incidents. We are looking forward to a friendly series."

Zaman's leniency may yet be the best result England take away from Peshawar, where the underlying cause of Caddick's outburst was the reluctance of a Governor's XI - a scratch team of Pakistan Test hopefuls - to roll over inside three days.

Trailing by 91 on first innings, Caddick and Darren Gough had reduced them to 13-3 when Naumanullah Khan and Akhtar Sarfraz lifted up the drawbridge and lowered the portcullis.

At 99-3, Caddick - and nearly everyone else in the ground - was convinced that Sarfraz had edged an outswinger to keeper Stewart with a clearly audible nick.

Then it turned ugly. Caddick, dismayed that his celebration of a hard-earned breakthrough had been futile, gave Sarfraz a piece of his mind.

Worse was to follow as Sajjad later claimed that Caddick had "said something about my country and I can't tolerate that."

At the end of the over, Sajjad complained to Hussain about his bowler's conduct and managed to take offence when the England captain stood up for his team.

But one anomaly remains unanswered about Sajjad's role in the affair. If he was so upset about Caddick's remarks, why did he not impose a five-run penalty on England under the anti-sledging legislation passed by the ICC last month?

Caddick, meanwhile, peppered Sarfraz with short-pitched stuff in a hostile spell which reeked of resentment.

And when Sarfraz reached his 50, the applause from a sparse crowd did not include a contribution from England players.

Gough removed Naumanullah immediately before bad light closed in, and England are still well placed to wrap up victory today.

But they will head for the first Test in Lahore with nagging reservations about Pakistani umpires in danger of becoming paranoia.SCOREBOARDGOVERNOR'S XI- 1st inns 224 Second Innings Farhat c Stewart b Caddick........0 Taufeeq b Gough.......................1 Yasir lbw b Gough.....................5 Naumanullah c Thorpe b Gough.50 Akhtar not out........................53 Sajid not out............................0 Extras (b4, lb1, nb1)...............6 Total (4 wkts)..................115 Fall: 1-1, 2-1, 3-13, 4-115 Bowling: Gough 9-3-30-3, Caddick 13-7-18-1, White 6-1-13-0, Giles 8- 2-24-0, Salisbury 7-1-25-0. ENGLAND- 1st inns (Overnight 241-5) Thorpe c Sub b Sajid Shah.......48 White c Shah b Kabir Khan......22 Giles c Sarfraz b Kabir Khan....24 Salisbury lbw b Kashif Raza.......4 Caddick c Umer b Kashif Raza....1 Gough not out..........................1 Extras (b1, lb1, nb4)...............6 Total...............................315 Bowling: Sajid 22-5-66-2, Kabir 28.5-5-82-3, Hussain 28-7-68-2, Kashif 21-7-66-3, Farhat 7-0-26- 0, Naumanullah 1-0-5-0.