Karachi: Reaction in Pakistan to the ball-tampering row at the fourth test against England has spiralled from initial dismay to a darkening mood of racial, religious and political undertones.
A cartoon in a Pakistani Islamist newspaper on Wednesday has Australian umpire Darrell Hair dressed in a Nato uniform growling: "I am also waging a war against terrorism."
A frontpage headline in The News reads: "When we are not terrorists, we are cheats."
The national media has been wading into Hair and digging up his past history and problems with Asian teams, and has also ridiculed the ICC for its perceived bias against Asians.
Even the voices of former captains Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, who felt Pakistan should have played on at the Oval, have been drowned out by a majority which feels Pakistan's pride has been damaged.
Pakistan were incensed that umpires Hair and Billy Doctrove had decided they were guilty of ball-tampering by changing the ball and penalising them five runs on Sunday.
They did not come out after tea and the umpires awarded the game to England.
Inzamam has since been charged with ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute and could be banned for eight one-day internationals or four tests at an International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing on Friday.
"It is all very sad really. Hair should have been more diplomatic and conscious of the fallout of his decision," former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said.
"The ICC and Hair should realise cricket is no longer just a sport or we would not have England refusing to tour Zimbabwe on political grounds or South Africa returning from Sri Lanka due to security concerns."
Chairman Shaharyar Khan has not ruled out the possibility of the tour being called off if Inzamam is penalised.
"I am in constant touch with our government officials appraising them of the situation but the players are not happy and totally support Inzamam. After talking to them I fear the tour is under threat," he told the Daily Jang.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed in a statement on Wednesday backed the umpires and said Friday's hearing is not a political, racial or religious matter but a cricketing one.
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