Asian Test Championship to go ahead even without India

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, AUG. 16. The second Asian Test Championship, beginning on August 29 with the match between Pakistan and Bangladesh at Multan, will go ahead without India, if the latter failed to confirm its availability within a reasonable time.

Addressing a media conference here on Thursday, the chairman of the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF), Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, said the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Mr. Jayawant Lele, had sought time till next Monday to indicate India's availability. The BCCI was expected to get a reply to its letter seeking clearance to play in the tournament from the Union Government by early next week.

The ACF chairman said the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was willing to bend backwards to accommodate India. ``Without India the tournament will be devalued. We are very hopeful of India's participation. We have decided to give more time to BCCI because the show has to go on. In case India is not available then the event will go ahead without India,'' he said.

The first of the Asian Test matches would be held from August 29 to September 2 at Multan in Pakistan. The second match would be played between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from September 6 to 10 in Colombo and the third has been slated between India and Pakistan at Lahore from September 12. The other matches would be played in February 2002.

The three-day meeting of the ACF featured development, screening and technical committee meetings. The technical committee, comprising Sunil Gavaskar (India, chairman), Zaheer Abbas (Pakistan), Asantha de Mel (Sri Lanka) and Gazi Ashraf Hossain, has recommended one neutral ICC umpire and one sub- continent umpire for better exposure of the latter. The match referee will be nominated by the ICC as in the previous edition.

In the first championship both the umpires and the match referee were nominated by the ICC.

The technical committee decided that the standard playing conditions adopted by the ICC and applicable from September 1 will be followed in the Asian Test series. The committee also devised a new points system in order to determine the finalists as well as to promote attractive cricket.

As per the points system, a team winning a match by an innings will get 16 points and an outright victory will fetch 12 points. In addition, bonus points have also been provided for in the first 100 overs of the first innings of both teams. Scoring 250- 299 runs will earn one point, between 300 and 249 will fetch two points, between 350 and 399 three points and above 400 four points. On the bowling side, a team taking four to five wickets will get one point, six to seven will earn two, eight and nine three and 10 wickets four points.

The ACC appointed three former international cricketers with distinct coaching background as its development officers (DO) for three regions. Roger Binny of India has been appointed the DO of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Brunei. Muhammad Iqbal Sikander of Pakistan is entrusted with the Middle- East belt, consisting of the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Rumesh Ratnayake of Sri Lanka will be in charge of Nepal, Maldives, Hong Kong and Bhutan. The DOs will commence their operations from the first week of September. A detailed schedule for them have been worked out. Former hockey Olympian and the India Davis Cup team doctor, Dr. Vece Paes, has been appointed as the sports medicine and physical training consultant.

Dr. Paes is expected to advise the youngsters from non-Test playing countries of Asia in proper physical fitness. Dr. Paes will begin his operation simultaneously and in coordination with the DOs.

In the absence of specialists on turf wicket management, the ACC has tied up with the New Zealand Sports Turf Institute in order to assist and develop in preparation of cricket grounds and pitches.

The ACC has decided to implement a number of programmes before March 2002. Eighteen coaching camps have been fixed under the supervision of the respective DOs in the three regions. To begin with, these camps will be held in Malaysia and Nepal (both from December 1 to 30, 2001), Singapore (January 4 to February 3, 2002), the UAE and Hong Kong (January 5 to February 4, 2002), Qatar/Oman/Kuwait and Maldives (February 6 to March 8, 2002).

With a view to educate and encourage development of local cricket coaches and physical trainers, workshops and courses have been scheduled in each of the three regions from September 2001 to June 2002. The objective is to encourage indigenous Level 1 and Level 2 coaches.

In addition, a seminar and six workshops have also been scheduled to improve the standard of umpiring in the non- Test playing countries of Asia. Curators workshop will be held in each of the 12 countries before June 2002. A workshop has also been planned for cricket managers and administrators.

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