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ICC chief can speed crisis talks
 Speed's arrival might produce a new date for the Inzamam hearing. LONDON, England -- International Cricket Council chief executive Malcolm Speed is set to arrive in London on Friday as the crisis surrounding Pakistan's tour of England escalates. England and Wales Cricket Board officials said late Thursday they had made contingency plans to face a World XI should Pakistan pull out of Monday's Twenty20 international. The ECB has also held talks with other countries to fulfil the five forthcoming one-day internationals should Pakistan withdraw over the rumpus caused by the final Test ball-tampering row. This was despite earlier assurances from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan that his side would go ahead with those matches. Cancelling the one-dayers would cost the ECB an estimated 10 million pounds. Pakistan threatened to boycott the remainder of their tour if captain Inzamam-ul-Haq was banned as a result of charges of ball-tampering and bringing cricket into disrepute following their forfeiture of the fourth and final Test against England at The Oval on Sunday. They are now due to play England in a Twenty20 match at Bristol on Monday before the one-day series proper starts Wednesday in Cardiff. The ECB said it had "received approval from ICC to approach leading world players to form an international XI to play against England at Bristol on Monday in case of the unlikely eventuality of the England v Pakistan game being unable to proceed." ECB chief executive David Collier said: "We are pleased that discussions strongly indicate the England v Pakistan International Twenty20 and the subsequent one-day series will proceed as planned. "However given the current uncertainty concerning the scheduling of the Code of Conduct hearing and imminence of the International Twenty 20 it is prudent to examine all options to provide spectators with guaranteed play on Monday. "ECB can also confirm that it has been in discussion with ICC and other full member boards to provide a further contingency plan for the NatWest (one-day) series. These discussions are well advanced, but it is hoped that the Pakistan team will be able to fulfil its commitments." Inzamam's disciplinary hearing, due to take place Friday in London, has been postponed because of the unavailabilty through personal reasons of ICC chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle to hear the case. At the very least Speed's arrival might produce a new date for the hearing which could leave Pakistan free to concentrate on cricket. Such has been the effect of the ongoing row that Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer admitted he'd come close to resigning. Pakistan were incensed by the decision of on-field umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove to award England five penalty runs on Sunday because they believed the tourists had illegally altered the condition of the ball. When they twice failed to come on after tea with the umpires it was ruled that Pakistan had forfeited the match - the first time this had happened in 129 years of Test cricket and England won the series 3-0. 
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