ICC deadline rejected

JAIPUR, NOV. 28. Continuing its defiance of the International Cricket Council, India today included batsman Virender Sehwag in the 14-member squad for the first test against England starting on December 3 at Mohali raising a question mark over the three- match series.

Meeting here in the backdrop of the ICC ultimatum to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to comply by Friday with its directive of non-inclusion of Sehwag or face the match being declared unofficial, the selectors picked the Delhi middle order batsman, saying it was done on ``cricketing merit.''

In Kolkata, the BCCI president, Mr. Jagmohan Dalmiya, while dismissing the ICC demand, said ``rules of the players and team officials' code of conduct specifically forbid disclosure of the composition of the teams.''

Mr. Dalmiya, who was addressing a media conference, said the BCCI had sent its written response to the ICC's letter setting the deadline. He also released the text of his letter to the press.

Expressing fears that his compliance with the ICC directive could lead to inquiries by the anti corruption unit against him and the ICC Chief Executive, Mr. Malcolm Speed, Mr. Dalmiya said in his letter ``I am sorry, I cannot take a chance in the matter and it is impossible for me or my board to comment whether Sehwag would be in the playing XI or not before the morning of the match.''

Mr. Speed had set a Friday noon deadline for the BCCI to disclose its stand.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which has been fully backing the ICC, jumped into the fray by announcing that it would pull out of the test match if Sehwag found a place in the Playing eleven. ``We will not be playing against a team with a banned cricketer in it,'' the ECB Chairman, Lord Maclaurin, said in London.

ICC exonerates Sachin

Meanwhile, in a sudden climbdown, the ICC tonight exonerated Sachin Tendulkar of ball-tampering charges, saying that he had been guilty of merely not informing the umpires that he was cleaning the ball during the second test against South Africa last week.

The ICC spokesman, Mr. Jonathan Hamus, said in London that ``Sachin Tendulkar has not been found guilty of ball tampering. The punishment was for removing grass from the ball without having informed the umpires, which is very different from ball tampering.''

This clarification is in sharp contrast to the official statement issued by the controversial referee, Mike Denness, after imposing penalties against Sachin Tendulkar and five other Indian players.

In his statement, Denness said Tendulkar had been penalised for ``interference with the match ball, thus changing its condition.

``By acting on the match ball, Mr. Tendulkar brought the game into disrepute (ICC players and team official code no 2) and has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee, plus a one-test match ban. The ban will be suspended until the last day of December 2001,'' the statement said.

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