LAHORE The strained tour of the Pakistan cricket team to England ended in bitterness between the cricket boards of the two countries. It has been learnt that a plan is being considered by PCB officials under which cricketing relations with England may be suspended till Pakistans name is cleared of fixing allegations. Strong sentiments have been expressed by national cricketers on the way the ICC and the British media treated the Pakistan team. However, the PCB said no official move was likely although its officials and legal team was trying to analyse the situation. The general feeling is that the officials will be asked to remain silent in a bid to avoid further controversy. PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt who returned from Dubai did not give details of the meeting he had with ICC president Sharad Pawar. He said that the issue is sensitive and the PCB, the ICC and all those involved may not speak to media for sometime. Speaking briefly to reporters here at the Lahore airport following his arrival from Dubai, Ijaz said since the issue of match-fixing was sensitive, the ICC and the PCB had agreed not to speak on it. It was a satisfactory meeting, he added. The relation between cricket boards of Pakistan and England were strained to great extent especially after Butts remarks that England cricketers fixed a match they lost. The ECB did not push for an apology till the conclusion of the series and now the ECB has written to the PCB seeking full and unreserved apology. Mr. Butt has been advised that if a satisfactory response is not received, legal proceedings will be commenced against him without further notice, said a joint statement issued by the England and Wales Cricket Board and the Professional Cricketers Association. The PCB top officials remained locked in a meeting for nearly a day to formulate the future course and take into account the legalities of the issue. It has also been learnt that the PCB is also discussing steps it should take to maintain healthy relations with the cricket world and keep the controversies away particularly on tours against countries like England. England tour one of most difficult of my career: Afridi Pakistans one-day captain, Shahid Afridi has described the tour to England that ended on Wednesday as one of the most difficult of his cricket career. It was one of the most difficult tours of my 14-year career. It was difficult to even venture out of the hotel, there were people hooting at us and there was lot of pressure on the players, Afridi said. Pakistan lost the test, Twenty20 and one-day series to England and the team was rocked by allegations of fixing parts of matches against some of its players. Test captain, Salman Butt and pace bowlers, Mohammad Asif, Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz were all questioned by Scotland yard over the allegations with the first three also suspended by the International Cricket Council after the News of the World newspaper broke a story on Aug. 28 that the players had deliberately bowled no balls in the fourth test against England at Lords. Afridi who had stepped down as test captain after Pakistan lost the first test to Australia in July returned to take charge of the team for the limited over matches. It was a difficult tour because of the allegations. Players were not comfortable even venturing out of the hotel, they were so many negative reports about the team, there was lot of stress on us, he said. The all-rounder said that he gave lot of credit to his players for still leveling the one-day series at 2-2 despite the pressures before eventually losing it 3-2 with defeat on Wednesday in Southampton. The players were down and it was not easy lifting them up. It was very difficult but they responded well. Afridi also called for the introduction of the umpires decision referral system in ODI cricket. They should have the referral system in one-dayers because one mistake by the umpire can change the course of the game, he said. Afridi also did not rule out the possibility of coming out of retirement to return to the test team again for the forthcoming series against South Africa in the UAE. I will speak to the chairman of the board but there is no doubt Pakistan cricket is going through a difficult phase and we seniors have to play our role in getting the team out of this crisis, he said. ECB demand full apology for fixing allegations The England and Wales Cricket Board demanded on Thursday a full and unreserved apology from Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt for his allegations that England players had engaged in match-fixing. Mr Butt has been advised that if a satisfactory response is not received, legal proceedings will be commenced against him without further notice, an ECB statement said. The threat follows an interview given by Butt to a Pakistan television channel after England lost the third one-day international against Pakistan at the Oval last Friday. Butt said there had been loud and clear talk in bookies circles that some English players were paid enormous amounts of money to lose (Fridays) match. In a BBC radio interview before Mondays fourth match at Lords, Butt said he had been merely repeating information he had received from bookmakers. His comments came after the International Cricket Council said it was launching an inquiry into Pakistans scoring pattern at the Oval after receiving information from a British newspaper. Thursdays ECB statement said a letter from the board and the Professional Cricketers Association had been sent to Butt. The letter seeks a full and unreserved apology, the statement said. Pakistans acrimonious tour of England and Wales concluded on Wednesday when England clinched the five-match 50 overs series at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Pakistan test captain Salman Butt and his team mates Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif had been suspended after an investigation into a newspaper report that they had arranged for no-balls to be deliberately delivered in the fourth test at Lords.