The England fast bowler Stuart Broad may face a one-match ban after petulantly throwing the ball at the Pakistan batsman Zulqarnain Haider today as the home side were frustrated in their attempts to win the second Test in Birmingham within three days.

Broad could face a maximum penalty of a one-match ban, although the International Cricket Council may let him off with a fine of 50% of his match fee.

The ICC confirmed tonight that Broad had been charged by its match referee Ranjan Madugalle for "throwing the ball inappropriately", which came while the Pakistan wicketkeeper was frustrating the England bowlers in the course of his innings of 88. Broad had looked angry when a caught‑behind appeal off Zulqarnain was reviewed but there was not any evidence to overturn the not-out decision. In his following over Broad flung the ball back at Zulqarnain and hit him on the shoulder. The umpires spoke with the England captain, Andrew Strauss.

Broad's disgruntled attitude has been a worry for the England management in the past but the player has never been charged before. When someone suggested tonight that the bowler had sailed close to the wind in the past, the former England captain Michael Vaughan said: "Close? He's sailed past it."

Tonight the Pakistan captain, Salman Butt, said: "Cricket is a gentlemen's game but I think they got frustrated. The throw was just one thing. I think there were plenty of words going on as well. Everybody could see. And people were also kicking the bowling marks and stuff. It is just frustration when your side has been bowling for too long."

When he was asked if that was good to see he replied: "In a way, yes. But it is not good to see people throwing balls at others and not even excusing [themselves] properly."

Graeme Swann, the six-wicket England bowling hero, said: "Knowing Broady as I do he certainly didn't have any malice behind it. He can't throw the ball hard enough to hurt anyone anyway. It was a sign of the frustration going on."

Meanwhile Waqar Younis, the Pakistan coach, described himself as "surprised" after it was announced the pitch here had never been used for a Test match before.

The pitch, which has been up and down from the first day, was dug up three years ago and although it has been used for ODIs and Twenty20 finals days it has never been used for a Test before. Warwickshire's chief executive, Colin Povey, said last night: "We try to rotate the central pitches to make the most of TV and spectator use."