BCCI insists Test is official

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, NOV. 23. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) insisted on Friday that the third cricket Test between South Africa and India, being played at Johannesburg, was an official match.

At a media conference here, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI president, said the BCCI and the UCBSA had maintained that the game was an official one for all practical purposes. ``I spoke to Mr. Percy Sonn, the UCBSA president and Mr. Gerald Majola and both confirmed that the match in progress is being considered by the UCBSA as an official Test.

Mr. Dalmiya said that the International Cricket Council (ICC) had communicated late last night that it would not grant an official status to the match. ``As far as the BCCI and UCBSA are concerned, all parameters of a Test match have been fulfilled. It is, however, not prudent for sports bodies to go into legalities of the issue at any stage. We will welcome any discussion on this and we are quite hopeful that the matter will be sorted out amicably in a process of deliberation among the ICC and its member countries, Mr. Dalmiya said.

The BCCI president expressed satisfaction that the Test match could commence despite initial hiccup. ``The BCCI will make all endeavour to ensure that cricket does not suffer. It is not the time to settle personal issues. It will be desirable for all concerned to deal with issues involving the game in the right perspective,'' he said.

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Section  : Sport
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