England touch down in Pakistan

Once back in Pakistan, the Peshawar newspaper felt compelled to print an unforgettable headline - 'Englishmen at it, again' - in response to an alleged attempt to break competition rules by practising on a match pitch.

Then, following a defeat in Rawalpindi, Atherton's often questionable diplomacy skills deserted him altogether when he referred to a Pakistani journalist as a "buffoon" at a press conference.

Back in Karachi, Atherton declined to step forward to accept a memento following a game against a club side because he was "on the toilet".

It was fitting that a campaign, tactically flawed from the start and unenthusiastically conducted, should end in Faisalabad with a quarter-final thumping by Sri Lanka. Although the industrial city is inextricably linked with bad cricketing relations between England and Pakistan, the two countries fell out on the field well before the Gatting-Rana episode.

Touring teams had often muttered about "poor" umpiring in Pakistan, but that allegation rebounded in 1982 when visiting captain Imran Khan blamed a decision by an English official at Headingley for his country's defeat. Five summers later, Pakistan objected to the appointment of umpires David Constant and Ken Palmer but received no satisfaction and, when it was England's turn to tour a few months later, retribution followed.

Gatting's party asked for umpire Shakeel Khan to be replaced before the start of the first Test in Lahore, the home board refused and, by England's reckoning, they were on the receiving end of nine wrong decisions.

It is worth remembering Pakistan were key movers in the campaign for neutral country umpires, and had been since the start of the Eighties. The Faisalabad Test of 1987 did more to forward those aims than any impassioned pleas.

England were on top when, three balls from the end of the second day's play, umpire Rana accused Gatting of moving a fielder without informing the batsman.

What followed was a toe-to-toe, finger-pointing row. Rana later claimed that England's captain had verbally abused him, Gatting insisted he had been sworn at first and called a cheat and the upshot was cricket's biggest crisis since Bodyline.

A day's play was lost while both camps refused to budge and the tour, never mind the Test, was only saved when Lord's ordered Gatting to write an apology.

Five years later, back in England, another series between the two countries exploded into acrimony - this time as a result of ball-tampering allegations against Pakistan - and it was not until the summer of 1996 that Atherton and Wasim Akram, friends at Lancashire, brought common sense to proceedings.

Meanwhile, Akram remains embroiled in a row over cricket's match-fixing scandal.

The 34-year-old all-rounder was one of eight Pakistani players named by their own country's inquiry into cricket corruption. Judge Qayyum recommended that Akram be fined around £3,500, censured, prevented from captaining Pakistan again and "kept under strict vigilance".

International Cricket Council delegates are due to consider the Qayyum report this week.

Regardless of the outcome, Akram is making a stance.

"I've not paid the fine because I've done nothing wrong," he said.