Board agrees policy on Indian Premier League; 14-team format for ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 agreed

The ICC Board met in Dubai on Monday and Tuesday. Among the issues discussed and decisions taken were the following:

Indian Premier League (IPL)

The ICC Board has agreed upon an official policy regarding the IPL. In general terms, it was agreed that the IPL was a good concept and although the introduction of privately owned franchises introduced risks to the game, it also provided possible benefits.

The Board stressed that the concept of nation-versus-nation cricket was the lifeblood of Members and this must always be given the highest possible priority. In order to maintain that position, the ICC Board and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) agreed that the BCCI, as the owner of the IPL, would sign a standard-form contract with all of the ICC Members reflecting the following principles:

• Each ICC Member will have an unfettered right in its absolute discretion to lodge an objection to a player from its country playing in the IPL

• This objection can be lodged up to two years after that player’s retirement

• All such objections will be respected by the IPL and its various franchises and the player in question will not be selected to play

• Bilateral commitments of Members will take precedence over IPL fixtures

• IPL will introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that comply with ICC regulations

No request has been made by the IPL or BCCI to adjust the ICC Future Tours Programme to accommodate IPL matches. The ICC will monitor IPL’s progress over the next few years and work with the BCCI to ensure that it works in harmony with international cricket.

Zimbabwe

A detailed forensic report was produced by KPMG South Africa and KPMG Zimbabwe regarding the 2005-06 accounts of Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC).

This report was considered by the ICC Audit Committee which reported to the ICC Board. In its review of the ICC Audit Committee report, the ICC Board accepted that the KPMG report had found no evidence of criminality and that no individuals had gained financially.

The Board noted, however, that the report highlighted serious financial irregularities. ZC reported to the ICC Board that it had taken substantial remedial action to correct these irregularities and would continue to do so.

ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 format

The ICC Board has decided upon a 14-team format for the next ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 which will be held in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. The event will be held over a significantly shorter period than the previous one. The detailed format, venues and schedule will be finalised in due course.

The 10 Full Members qualify automatically for the event with the remaining four places going to the semi-finalists of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will take place in Dubai in 2009.

Technology

The ICC Board approved the trialing of the increased use of technology by umpires. The trial will involve a system whereby players can request that umpiring decisions be reviewed by the TV umpire. Subject to the consent of the England and Wales Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa, the trial will be conducted during the Test series between those two Members in England this year.

The ICC Cricket Committee will be charged with determining and finalising the playing conditions for the trial subject to the proviso that the method of review should incorporate the principle of consultation with, rather than referral to, the TV umpire.

Darrell Hair

The ICC Board resolved that Darrell Hair would remain on the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires and would be appointed to umpire matches involving Full Member teams. This position will be reviewed at the end of March 2009.

ICC Champions Trophy 2008

The Board discussed the details of this year’s ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan. As it stands, the event will go ahead as planned from 11 to 28 September in three venues across the country, which will be finalised in due course. A full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June.

Appointment of the next ICC CEO

As announced on Monday the ICC Board has selected South African Imtiaz Patel as its preferred candidate for the position of Chief Executive. Pending negotiations with Mr Patel it is hoped that he will take over from Malcolm Speed during the ICC’s annual conference at the end of June. Mr Speed has been ICC Chief Executive since 2001.

For more details on this refer to Monday’s media release or go to www.icc-cricket.com.

New ICC Director

The Board welcomed Arjuna Ranatunga to his first meeting as an ICC Director – Mr Ranatunga is the newly appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket and before the meeting started he received his ICC Director’s tie from ICC President Ray Mali.

The ICC Board, which meets three times a year, is made up of the following Directors:

Ray Mali (Chairman) – ICC President

Malcolm Speed – ICC Chief Executive Officer

David Morgan – ICC President-Elect

Full Members

Creagh O’Connor – Australia

Major General Sina Ibn Jamali – Bangladesh

Giles Clarke – England

Sharad Pawar – ICC Vice-President, India (IS Bindra and Shashank Manohar attended parts of the meeting as alternates in the absence of Mr Pawar)

Sir John Anderson KBE – New Zealand

Dr Nasim Ashraf – Pakistan

Arjuna Ranatunga – Sri Lanka

Norman Arendse – South Africa

Dr Julian Hunte OBE – West Indies

Peter Chingoka – Zimbabwe

Associate Members

Samir Inamdar – Kenya

Stanley Perlman – Israel

HRH Tunku Imran – Malaysia