Dubai, Sep 4 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday gave the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), its team management and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq the final warning, asking them to desist from making public comments on the ball-tampering issue.

"The acute international diplomatic and political sensitivity of this issue has persuaded me not to lay a charge to date, but despite the exceptional circumstances I will not hesitate to lay a charge should further inappropriate public comments be made ahead of the hearing," ICC CEO Malcolm Speed said here.

Speed disclosed that he had raised the matter twice in the last 10 days with PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan and he had also asked ICC match referee Mike Procter to do likewise with the Pakistan captain and team management during the ongoing Pakistan-England one-day series.

Umpire Darrell Hair allotted the fourth and final Test last month to England following Pakistan's delay in taking the field after the Australian awarded five penalty runs for alleged ball tampering at The Oval, London, enabling the hosts to win the series 3-0.

Following forfeiture - the first in 129-year Test match history - the issue snowballed into a major crisis, with Hair even offering to resign from the ICC Elite Panel of Umpires in exchange of $500,000.

Pakistan captain Inzamam, team manager Zaheer Abbas and PCB have made comments over the issue, but have escaped the ICC's censure.

"I have been very disappointed by some of the public comments that have been made by members of the PCB, team management and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq following the Oval Test," said Speed.

"Over the course of the last two weeks there has been a stream of unnecessary and inappropriate public comment from the PCB, much of which could be seen as prejudicial to the pending code of conduct hearing."

Speed said that all concerned parties will have an opportunity to present their evidence during the hearing this month as per the "fair and independent process" for dealing with such matters.

Details of the timing and venue of the Code of Conduct hearing will be announced in due course, ICC said.