Trott squares up to Riaz

ECB chief executive David Collier admitted Jonathan Trott had an angry confrontation with Wahab Riaz before the fourth ODI against Pakistan at Lord's.

The England batsman and Pakistan's perennial NatWest Series 12th man squared up in the nursery end nets shortly before Monday's game at headquarters, in what was a turbulent day for both teams even before the match started.

Collier conceded the tensions of the past 24 hours - since Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt issued claims that England players received "enormous sums of money" to deliberately lose at the Brit Oval last week - doubtless contributed to the tension both players were feeling.

"There was an altercation," he confirmed on Sky Sports 1. "It was fairly minor in nature. It was regrettable, but it happened."

Collier was grateful to match referee Jeff Crowe, a New Zealander, for ensuring the situation did not get out of hand once it was brought to his attention.

Fortunate

"We are very fortunate that we have the experience of a neutral man in Jeff Crowe here, who dealt with it immediately," added Collier. "It is a closed matter.

"I think feelings have been high in the last 24 hours. We don't hide behind that, though. We admit that feelings were strong, so that is bound to spill over."

The incident is sure to be portrayed as symptomatic of the inevitable deterioration in relations between England and Pakistan in a one-day international series dogged by spot-fixing controversy.

The saga reached crisis point yet again this morning thanks to Butt's remarks.

England have strenuously refuted accusations they see as defamatory and also made mention in a statement, released less than an hour before the start of play, of the "legal options" which may be available to them.

Pakistan have been beset by allegations of spot-fixing against their players ever since Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were named in reports of a plot to defraud illegal bookmakers during last month's Lord's Test.

An ECB statement confirmed that England were prepared to continue the series against Pakistan, despite the PCB chairman's unexpected outburst.

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