The Hindu : High power ICC meet next week

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 20, 2002

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Sport - Cricket

High power ICC meet next week

By Our Sports Reporter

CHENNAI JUNE 19. World cricket's seniormost decision makers meet in London next week for the second ICC Executive Board meeting of the year.

An International Cricket Council (ICC) press release onWednesday said, on top of the agenda would be a discussion, led by President Malcolm Gray and Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed, that will focus on the impact of recent political developments and terrorist activities on the structure of the international game.

"In recent months international cricket has suffered a number of telling setbacks; political unrest in Zimbabwe, terrorism in Pakistan and escalating tension between India and Pakistan, which have all contributed to this current state of uncertainty," said Malcolm Gray.

This meeting would provide a timely forum to consider the problems and work towards finding realistic and effective responses, he added.

The ICC is proposing to take a more active and structured role in serious issues of this kind, which threaten both the integrity of the `Future Tours

Programme' and the financial stability of some member Boards.

Other major issues for discussion at the Executive Board meeting include: a) Bowling Review Group Procedure: Following extensive consultation with member countries, ICC management proposes to streamline the current three-stage process for dealing with suspect bowling actions to two stages. If accepted, the new procedure will be in place from September this year, but would not affect bowlers currently under review.

b) ODI Championship, ICC Test Championship and player rankings: The Executive Board has already approved the principle of an official ICC One-Day International Championship. The June meetings will discuss detailed proposals supporting this, as well as reviewing the first 12 months of the ICC Test Championship. They will also consider the introduction of ICC Player rankings for Test and ODI cricket.

c) Membership applications: Directors will review an inspection report as part of Kenya's application for Test match status, apart from looking into the applications for Associate Member status and Affiliate Member status from many other countries.

The week of meetings at Lord's will also include Cricket Committee-Management, on Monday (June 24) and the morning of Tuesday (attended by the chief executives of member Boards), the ICC Associate Members meeting, also on Tuesday, and the first ICC Business Forum, on Thursday.

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