Rashid Latif admits to having claimed dropped catch

Former Pakistan captain and wicketkeeper, Rashid Latif, has admitted he claimed a catch against Bangladesh batsman Alok Kapali in Multan in 2003 even though he knew he hadn't taken it cleanly, according to media reports. Pakistan went on to win the Test by a slender one-wicket margin but Latif, then the captain, was banned for five games by the match referee for that incident.

Bangladesh were in a strong position in the third Test, having taken a first-innings lead of 106, and were 91 for 5 in the second innings when Kapali edged medium-pacer Yasir Ali to the wicketkeeper. Latif appeared to pull off a spectacular take flying in front of first slip but television replays showed the ball popping out of his gloves as he got up from the floor after rolling over twice.

"I dived to my right to take a Kapali nick. The ball dropped from my gloves as I rolled over but quickly picked it up from the ground before claiming it as a clean catch," Latif told Desh TV, a Bangladesh television channel.

Pakistan went on to win the Test thanks largely to Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored an unbeaten 138, during the chase of 261. Latif was subsequently found guilty of breaching the ICC Code of Conduct by match referee Mike Procter and was banned for five ODIs.

At the time, however, Latif had said he had taken the catch cleanly. "If I had been convinced that I had not taken a clean catch and that the ball popped out of my gloves before I completed the catch motion, I would have called the batsman back," he said then. "I dived, took the catch, rolled over and then just threw the ball to Inzamam."

Latif, who stepped down as Pakistan captain following the series, is currently in Dhaka to attend a Level III coaching course conducted by the Asian Cricket Council and Cricket Australia in collaboration with the Bangladesh Cricket Board.