The PCB has asked its legal advisors to find out if South African umpire Rudi Koertzen had breached any International Cricket Council (ICC) code of conduct by allegedly describing the Pakistani players as “cheats.”

Chairman of the board Dr Nasim Ashraf is in London to discuss the issue with the ICC and confirm if Koertzen had indeed made such remarks about the Pakistani cricketers.

Australian umpire Darrell Hair, who is fighting a legal battle with the ICC at a central employment tribunal in London over his reinstatement for Test and international matches, has said at the hearing that Koertzen in a telephone conversation called the Pakistanis cheats.

Hair claimed that Koertzen had in March expressed his pleasure at Pakistan being knocked out of the World Cup after losing to Ireland. Hair has said that Koertzen after exchanging pleasantries on the phone said: “That’s great news, those cheats can now go home.” The call was made on the phone of Doug Cowie, the umpires manager of the ICC.

A senior official of the PCB said that Ashraf had gone to London for the tribunal proceedings and to talk to the ICC and related people to find out about the statement made by Hair about Koertzen.

“This matter has been taken up very seriously by the Chairman who will discuss it with the ICC in London and is already finding out the truth with other relevant quarters,” Shafqat Naghmi, the chief operating officer of the board said. Naghmi said if it was confirmed that Koertzen had made these remarks, the board would not shy away from asking the ICC not to appoint the SA umpire for future Pak matches.