ACC to seek one-day status for five countries

By Rizwan Ehsan Ali

FAISALABAD, DEC. 4. A top Asian Cricket Council (ACC) official informed on Friday that the ACC would try its best to get one-day international status for five countries in the next five years under its development programme.

``ACC has discussed the programme presented by development manager Duleep Mendis of Sri Lanka and we intend to press for one-day international status for at least five countries,'' ACC secretary Zakir Hussain Syed said.

ACC officials met in Dubai last week to discuss various matters, with the development of the game in the region topping the agenda.

``UAE and Hong Kong will be playing Asia Cup next year so all their matches will be internationals. At the International Cricket Council's next meeting in June, 2001 we would back UAE's case for ODI status,'' he said.

Zakir said ACC had invited ICC development managers to discuss Asia's development programme. ``It was the first time that ICC officials - ICC development manager, Andrew Eade, and development manager for Asian region, Nasimul Ghani, - were invited to the meeting and we briefed them about our plans.''

He said all 12 associate members of ACC will get a boost under the development programme. ``Our main focus is on associate members with Bangladesh as the major beneficiary as it needs support after getting Test status.''

ACC has also focussed on the importance of umpires and referees. ``We have allocated special funds for umpires and referees as we want to improve this area to make our officials more worthy,'' said the ACC secretary.

``It was sheer injustice that there was only one umpire - S. Venkatraghavan of India - in the ICC knockout event last September,'' he said.

ACC has also decided to go on with the planned Asia Cup in April next year with or without India. ``It's a firm decision to hold Asia Cup with or without India but a proposal also came under discussion that we hold the Asian Test Championship this year and Asia Cup next year but no final decision has been made as yet,''.

He said terms of reference for the formation of an ACC investigation body has been given to member countries. ``There was a fear that the anti-corruption investigative body might interfere in the respective Board's matters so its jurisdiction is to be decided.''

ACC has also finalised the Asian under-19 tournament to be hosted by Nepal in the last week of September next year.

Miandad backs Fletcher

In the meanwhile, Pakistan coach Javed Miandad has supported England coach Duncan Fletcher's idea for using technology in order to avoid controversies.

``If we have the best technology available we should utilize it. It doesn't make any sense to me as to why umpires in the middle don't ask for replays,'' Miandad said at the Iqbal Stadium on the third day of the second Test against England.

Pakistan umpire Mian Mohammad Aslam gave Graham Thorpe not out in the first session when the TV replays clearly suggested that the ball had got the inside edge of the bat before Moin Khan caught him.

West Indian umpire Steve Bucknor on Thursday evening adjudged Nasser Hussain leg before though the ball had caught the inside edge of the bat before hitting his back leg.

``Why leave doubt in the minds of the two teams that they have not got a fair decision. If the International Cricket Council is trying to make the sport controversy-free, why are they delaying the inevitable.''

Fletcher has called for controversial umpiring decisions to be referred to a third umpire. The former Zimbabwe captain, in a paper for the ICC two months ago, had proposed that teams should be able to ask umpires to refer to television replays for controversial decisions on three occasions in any innings.

``I don't want to comment on Fletcher's observations. But this has been my stand for the last couple of years and has been strengthened with each passing day in the field,'' Miandad stated.

Miandad said 24 cameras are covering the current series taking care of all angles. He added South Africa has started the technology on experimental basis. ``It means enforcement of technology is possible.

``I don't want to say that all the decisions should be referred to the third umpire. If technology and third umpire can assist the men standing in the centre on run-outs, stumpings, confirmation of boundary or six and verification of eligible catches, why not pad and bat or bat and pad catches, or whether the ball hit the bat before hitting the pad in case of a

leg before appeal.''

Pakistan was denied of making history in the West Indies when Doug Cowie of New Zealand adjudged last man Courtney Walsh not out though the replays confirmed that the `smiling assassin' was out having edged the ball onto his pads and Yousuf Youhana completing the action.

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