ICC Cricket

Dubai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will hold its annual conference week in Dubai from June 29 to July 4 during which David Morgan will take over as the governing body’s new President.

The week will also include meetings of the ICC Chief Executives’ Committee and the ICC Board. Morgan, a former England and Wales Cricket Board chief, will take over as ICC President from Ray Mali.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council (ICC) asked outgoing chief executive Malcolm Speed to go on leave on Friday following major differences at the top of the organisation.

"The ICC President, Ray Mali, and the CEO Speed have agreed that Malcolm Speed will be on paid leave from April 30 until the end of his contract term on July 4 2008," an ICC statement from its president-elect David Morgan said.

"This change of plan is the result of a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between the CEO and a number of (ICC) board members, including the president, over a variety of issues that include Zimbabwe."

South Africa's David Richardson, the ICC general manager for cricket, will hold the post until his compatriot Haroon Lorgat takes over the job at the ICC annual conference in early July.Asking Australian Speed to go ahead of schedule is the latest crisis to hit the organisation, indicating serious divisions among its member boards.

The affairs of the troubled Zimbabwe board has been one of them. The national team has been out of test cricket since January 2006 after the side were depleted in the wake of a series of confrontations between players and the administration.Last month, an independent audit found serious financial irregularities in the Zimbabwe board accounts but the ICC did not call for any sanctions.

The ICC's board decided there was no evidence of criminality and no individuals had gained financially. A media report on Friday suggested the ICC's annual conference in late June, traditionally held at Lord's, London, could be moved to its headquarters in Dubai due to visa problems for Zimbabwe board chief Peter Chingoka.

Although no formal decision has yet been made, it is increasingly likely that the meeting will now take place at the ICC headquarters in Dubai.At the centre of the controversy is the British government's refusal to give firm commitments to the ICC that they will grant a visa to Zimbabwe cricket chairman Peter Chingoka.

He was refused a visa to enter the UK by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to give testimony at the Darrell Hair hearing last October, even though he was a member of the sub-committee that recommended to the ICC board in 2006 that Hair be demoted as an international umpire.With the crisis in Zimbabwe deepening since the elections on March 29, the chances of Chingoka being granted a visa are increasingly slim.

That news will not surprise the MCC, the owners of Lord's. They have already seen the ICC move to Dubai for tax purposes three years ago. However, it will affect plans to celebrate the ICC's centenary next year at the home of cricket and cast a doubt over next year's World Twenty20, which will use Lord's as its principle base.

Unless there are significant developments in Zimbabwe, the ICC may feel compelled to relocate it to another country.

Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Mumbai, April 22: In order to curb the match-fixers, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to widen its net in India and Sri Lanka.

To prevent corruption within International Cricket and enforcing "Minimum Standards" within the Players and Match Officials Area (MOA), during all international matches, the ICC's Ani-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) have advertised for the additional Regional Security Manager post for these two countries.

At present, India's Niranjan Virk, one of the five Regional Security Managers, is looking after India and Sri Lankan territories, but it seems, he is having more work loads compared to others and considering more IPL matches likely to figure in India in future, additional post is created by the ICC. The ICC is looking out for an official having "unquestionable integrity", sound intelligence and leadership skills with ability to adapt and work in different countries and different cultures.

The ICC is searching a candidate having experience of handling difficult and possibly unreliable informants and having ability to handle situations with tack as well as firmness.

The ICC expects the new candidate to liase with local police and other law enforcement agencices to co-ordinate preventive measureagainst corruption in the game. They want a candidate who can develop sources of information within the sport and also in related professions within the betting industry, who may proide useful intelligence relating to corruption in cricket.

Source:http://www.dailymirror.lk

The Australian Cricketers' Association is encouraging Australia to develop a Twenty20 competition that is similar to the Indian Premier League and could run in conjunction with the main tournament. Paul Marsh, the ACA's chief executive, has been in India to monitor the opening week of the IPL and said the expansion of the concept could follow soccer's model.

"The Indian league will be the Premier League, and then you have the Australian league as the second league, or even the English league," Marsh said in the Daily Telegraph. "Over time players could go and play in one of these leagues and then you'll have a situation where the ICC could license each league, get a return and distribute it to each of these boards."

The initial success of the IPL has other countries trying to think of ways to benefit financially from the concept. Support is also growing for the ICC to implement a set time each year for Twenty20 so it doesn't overlap with Test and one-day internationals.

"We need to find this window and then find how to get a return from it for each of the boards," Marsh said. "We might find a window and it opens a door for a whole lot of these leagues."

Marsh is also interested in the idea of an IPL team based in Australia. Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's general manager of cricket operations, has said the franchise idea would be considered.

Brown told AAP on Tuesday the start of the IPL had been "outstanding". "It's fantastic for cricket - we're here in Melbourne in an incredible AFL environment, yet people are talking up cricket," he said. "That's a real positive for the game and the little bits I've caught from our players, it's been very successful."

Source:http://content-www.cricinfo.com

Kolkata: The Indian Cricket Board will request world cricket body ICC to include IPL's T-20 into its cricket calender.

In a published report here, India's supreme cricket body Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI)'s Secretary Niranjan Shah said, ''The BCCI would soon write to the International Cricket Council in Dubai to incorporate Indian Premier League(IPL) into its annual calendar, so that overseas players could join in this shorter version of cricket.

His comments came close at the heels to the ICC head Malcolm Speed's statement in Mumbai recently on the issue. He had told newspersons that there is no need to put the IPL in the world cricket calendar as yet.

Niranjan Shah also suggested that instead of auctioning players every year, the IPL should consider the option of signing contracts of a minimum of three years with the players.

Source:http://sify.com/

With umpiring standards recently coming under the scanner in several countries, the ICC has responded by appointing a new panel to pick and evaluate the international and Elite umpires. Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, said the old procedure, where he and Sunil Gavaskar, ICC's cricket committee chairman, picked up the umpires, would now be scrapped.

"The pair will now be replaced by a new four-member panel consisting of David Richardson, ICC general manger of cricket, Ranjan Madugalle, chief referee, David Lloyd, former England coach and a commentator and S Venkataraghavan, former Indian captain and umpire", Speed said in Mumbai.

The ICC will also now be expanding the Elite Panel's strength by adding two new members to the existing 10.The new selection process, Speed said, would give equal opportunities to umpires from various member countries.

"The umpires on the Elite Panel are chosen as the best umpires, with each country nominating two umpires to the international panel and these umpires are chosen to umpire Tests and ODIs. So the two Indian umpires who come on to the international panel they will be considered along with the rest for inclusion in the Elite Panel."

Meanwhile Speed once again reiterated that the ICC had left the decision to Gavaskar on whether he wanted to continue heading the ICC cricket committee and stop writing his syndicated columns. Last year, Gavaskar was appointed for a three-year term as the chairman of the cricket committee. But the ICC board is now concerned about his role as a commentator and journalist and it has decided that the chairman should be a non-practising journalist.

"I've explained that carefully to Sunny who accepts that and after the cricket committee meeting he will choose [whether] to continue as chairman or as a journalist.

"There are no guidelines at the moment but he has been the chairman for a long time. It hasn't been an issue up until now, but it's become an issue and the decision has been made. It's sensible that the chairman of the committee is not a journalist and not commenting on issues that involve other employees or consultants of ICC."

Source:http://content-www.cricinfo.com

Australia finished the 12-month period up to 31 March 30 rating points clear of India in the ICC Test Championship with four wins, one defeat and one draw in Test cricket during that time.At the same time, the Proteas edged out Ricky Ponting’s side by a fraction of a rating point to top the ODI table, winning 21 and losing eight ODIs during the same 12-month period.

Australia and South Africa received US$175,000 each for their achievements while Ponting’s side also pocketed an additional US$75,000 for finishing as runner-up in the ICC ODI Championship after 17 wins, six loses and three no-results in the twelve-month window.India collected US$75,000 after ending the period in question in second place in the Test table with four wins, seven draws and two defeats in Test cricket.

Ricky Ponting, former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock and India coach Gary Kirsten received the cheques in a ceremony held in Mumbai.ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed congratulated the teams on their successes, saying: "Australia deserves praise for once again being the most consistent team in Test cricket.

"The success of Ricky Ponting’s side represents a benchmark for all teams at Test level and that is reflected in their standing in the ICC Test Championship table."Now, with the retirement of several high-profile players, they will face a challenge to their long-held top spot and it will be fascinating to see how all teams deal with that situation in the months to come.

"In one-day cricket it has been an absorbing battle between Australia and South Africa for first place in the ICC ODI Championship table and it was a battle that went right down to the wire before Graeme Smith’s side secured that position."Given Australia’s status as reigning ICC Cricket World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy holders, South Africa deserve great credit for what they have achieved.

"And India’s performances over the twelve-month period, which have lifted them to second spot in the Test table are also impressive and they will be looking to close that large gap between themselves and Australia while at the same time holding off the pack of teams that are snapping at their heels."Reflecting on his side’s fortunes in the Test and ODI rankings, Ricky Ponting said: "I am obviously proud of the performance of my team over the year.

"We have faced a number of challenges but have met them head-on and, in terms of the Test table and the large lead we hold, it shows we have met them."It’s disappointing to lose the lead in the ODI Championship table but it is a great incentive for us as a unit to regain that top spot and, given this coming twelve months will also see us defend our ICC Champions Trophy title, there is plenty for us to look forward to."

Shaun Pollock said: "Australia are the benchmark in all forms of the game, and especially one-day cricket, winning three successive ICC Cricket World Cups and holding the ICC Champions Trophy."So, for South Africa to take over the top spot in the one-day table is a huge achievement for the playing group as well as a great honour for everyone connected with South Africa cricket.

"Now the challenge is to maintain the standards the side has set itself and with Australia and a host of other teams hot on South Africa’s heels Graeme (Smith) and his players have the perfect incentive to do that."Gary Kirtsen said: "It has been a tough 12 months for us as a Test team but the fact we have risen to many of the challenges put before us is reflected in our second position in the ICC Test Championship table.

Mumbai: Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, Chief Administrative Officer, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told The Hindu that the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee follows a process of making his observations on Test matches and One-Day Internationals.

“He makes two separate observations on the pitch and other issues and should there be any unfavourable remark, the home Board addresses the issue accordingly,” Shetty said before leaving for Bangalore for BCCI’s special General Body Meeting on Thursday.

“Normally the match referee makes his remarks on the state of the pitch before the start of the match on details like grass cover and the nature of the outfield. Then he notes the bounce/ variable bounce/ turn on a daily basis and at the end of the match makes his final observations.

“Should there be adverse remarks on the quality of the pitch, the referee’s report is referred to the BCCI’s Pitch & Ground Committee and also to the Tour Programme Committee which allots matches to the host associations.“A member of the Pitch & Ground Committee monitors the preparation of the pitch,” Shetty said.

“If there are remarks on the Kanpur pitch or for the third Test between India and South Africa or on other issues, the BCCI will follow a process and address the issues properly.The BCCI has not been served a show-cause notice as has been speculated.

When the India and Australia Test ended in two-and-half days a few years ago, the match referee had remarked that in the interest of Test cricket and spectators, wickets should be prepared to last the full duration of a match,” Shetty added.

Source:http://www.hindu.com