The full quorum of the ICC is meeting in Karachi on January 12 to discuss the serious threat to its finances posed by the Indian government’s decision to impose restrictions on the exclusive telecast of cricket matches by private broadcasters.The Indian government had recently announced that the telecast of all major sporting events involving India, including cricket matches, should be shared with Prasar Bharati, the state broadcaster. The Indian cabinet in taking the decision had stated: “For ensuring the widest availability in India of national or international sporting events of national importance to be held in India, no television channel shall carry a live broadcast of whole or part of any event … unless simultaneously Prasar Bharati has also been offered the terrestrial and DTH broadcasting rights.”What is even more worrying is that the Indian government has said that this ruling will apply retrospectively to existing contracts.By demanding that matches be broadcast by a number of channels, the value of the rights is significantly reduced and the ICC has explicitly stated that its finances will be seriously reduced as a result of this decision.”I wouldn’t like to speculate on how much money it would cost us, but I know it would be substantial,” Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, said. “Cricket boards like the West Indies, Sri Lanka and others might not be able to survive without this revenue.”The TV rights issue has dogged Indian cricket since the Australia tour in October-November 2004. Prasar Bharati have been in the box-seat from thereon, with rights being dispensed on a series-by-series basis.Late last year, the ICC wrote to Dr Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, and to the minister in charge of broadcasting asking them to review the decision. Both, the Rupert Murdoch-owned ESPN-Star Sports and Ten Sports are seeking legal means to force the government to rescind the decision. “Nowhere in the world does a law exist like this … This is not encouraging for private sports broadcasters,” a top ESPN official said. “This is really a harsh view taken by the ministry, which is totally unnecessary.”Apart from all its full-member countries, representatives of several major broadcasters and media rights holders will also attend the ICC meeting.

Not before time, it has finally dawned on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that things really can’t go on as they are. Not a week, indeed not a day, passes without more evidence, damning and irrefutable, that only its immediate restructuring along with other urgent measures can save West Indies cricket from complete and utter ruination. It is not far from that stage at present, a disturbing realisation that clearly pervaded its directors’ meeting in Port of Spain last weekend.The media release at the end of it made encouraging reading. It revealed planned action on the most crucial issues-the restructuring of the board, settlement of retainer contracts for the leading players, establishment of the comprehensive development plan prepared by Bennett King, the head coach, and Tony Howard, the operations manager, for every level throughout the region, and the need to achieve a break-even position at the end of 2006.President Ken Gordon, in office for just over six months, would not have had to open proceedings by spelling out to his colleagues the gloomy background to their discussions. But he no doubt did so all the same. It is common knowledge that the WICB is effectively bankrupt, repeatedly embarrassed by public disclosures that it cannot pay its bills on time, obliged to close its Academy and cut its annual first-class tournament in half. More and more, it is clear that its composition fuels insularity as members placed on its directorate by their individual boards see it as their duty to serve their own narrow interests first, the West Indies second.At administrative level, except for how to fill in expense accounts and sign credit card receipts, the WICB’s operatives seem challenged by even the most straightforward tasks such as arranging matches and announcing teams. Its marketing department is patently malfunctioning. When it chose to change its major sponsors two years ago, the WICB found itself embroiled in an ugly row that brought West Indies cricket to its knees while enriching a British company with a million-dollar finder’s fee. Critically, its relationships with its most important employees, the players, seldom cordial, have become strained to the point of consistent conflict and controversy. It has managed to alienate the majority of the eminent performers of the past; a priceless resource who are recruited instead by an American tycoon so appalled by the haphazard way the game is run he has decided to use his wealth to start a regional tournament on his own. As one blunder has followed another and West Indies cricket has plunged deeper into the pool of mediocrity, a public fanatical about the game has been driven to despair. These are not idle or misleading observations. They are supported by any number of well-documented instances over time.The consequences are to be detected in the balance sheets-financial and playing. The former indicates a deficit of US$15 million and rising, the latter a dizzying drop to the bottom among the game’s major teams only a decade after lording it over them for 15 years and more. There are those who have sat on the board for so long, they either do not recognise the signs or are in a state of denial. Perhaps it has taken a new president and a couple of new directors to stress the certainty that, if the situation continues unchecked, the further diminishing, even the eventual demise of West Indies cricket, will inevitably follow. That is a self-evident truth.So where does the WICB under Gordon start? After all, the subjects raised at last weekend’s meeting have occupied its attention many times before yet remain outstanding. The most fundamental proposal emerging from the latest meeting is for the addition of four directors, to be chosen from outside the narrow confines of the affiliated associations which presently constitute the board by providing two members each to sit under the president and vice-president. Such an arrangement excludes the countless specialists with experience and expertise in critical areas who should be available to West Indies cricket but who, for one good reason or another, do not seek office on the territorial boards.In his thoughtful, well-balanced article that appeared in some Caribbean newspapers and websites at the same time as the WICB meeting, Clive Lloyd, the former captain, also saw the need for a wider spread of the net. His suggestions approximated to those mooted in Port of Spain. He envisaged a non-voting representative of Caricom on the board, a relationship with the Caribbean Development Bank and a link with Allen Stanford, the Antigua-based Texan tycoon who has engaged Lloyd and 13 other greats of the West Indies’ game on his board to administer his US$28 million Twenty20 tournament. These are the kinds of individuals likely to fill the four new posts on the board, once the change is approved by the territorial boards. Already Stanford has agreed to place his tournament under the WICB’s aegis and closer cooperation can be anticipated. It is clear that the increase in directors, from 14 to 18, would create a top-heavy board. The corollary would be to streamline it by limiting the territories to a solitary representative each, either the president or his appointee, reducing the numbers to 12.It is an arrangement Wes Hall fought vigorously to have implemented during his term as president for he could observe from the inside-as he had in the Barbados cabinet and the board rooms of private enterprise-that quantity simply diluted quality. Hall never got it through for the majority of the directors who had to ratify the decision held coveted positions that afforded them lofty status. In this regard, it was refreshing to hear Desmond Haynes, an eminent West Indies cricketer of comparative youth and one of Barbados’ directors as its association’s recently-elected vice-president, urge on radio on Friday for such a reduction of regional directors.While the restructuring is still to be ratified, the WICB release stated that approval has been given to establishing two specialist committees. It identified one as “a cricket committee which would play a dominant role in influencing cricket decisions”. It was a pertinent disclosure since a cricket committee existed, in various forms, for many years. It was headed, at separate times, by David Holford and Michael Findlay and comprised former Test players, appointed by the board irrespective of territory, whose mandate was to advise on cricketing matters. The problem, as frustrated members repeatedly made it plain, was that the board paid them not the slightest notice. It got to the point where, after not meeting for two years, it simply vanished into thin air.Now that it is to return, the WICB must appoint committed former players of repute and stick to its declaration that it “would play a dominant role in influencing cricket decisions”. If it continues to be overridden by the tinkers and tailors on the board, it will simply go the way of its predecessors. Indeed, if the other grand plans itemised in last week’s release are also allowed to become unstuck, West Indies cricket will go the same way.

It’s been just two days since they suffered their second-heaviest defeatin Tests, but India’s chance for redemption isn’t too far away. Victoryin the five-match one-day series, starting in Peshawar on February 6,would go a long way in soothing the wounds but India will know that theybegin the contest as underdogs, against a buoyant side that has won 10 oftheir last 12 games.The upbeat Pakistan squad, almost identical to their Test side, trainedfor around two hours at the Arbab Niaz Stadium this afternoon, withInzamam-ul-Haq having a long batting session. Inzamam had missed theKarachi Test owing to a long-term back injury but was expected to don thepyjamas for the opening game here.There was already a buzz outside the ground, with the public lookingforward to the first one-dayer in the city for more then 16 months. Theauthorities at the Arbab Niaz Stadium indicated that tickets were all soldout and close to 15000 were expected to turn up. Recently England hadrefused to play in Peshawar citing security fears and the city has alwaysbeen in the spotlight owing to its proximity to Afghanistan.Ten members of the Indian squad had a net session this morning beforeheading off to visit the Khyber Pass. India’s spirit received a boost withthe addition of four new players to the squad, with Mohammad Kaif, SureshRaina, Murali Kartik and S Sreesanth having a net session in theafternoon.Having been part of the Uttar Pradesh side that recently triumphed in theRanji Trophy triumph, Kaif and Raina would be expected to provide a liftwith their acrobatic fielding along with some handy middle-order runs.Kartik will provide the team with the left-arm spin option and,considering Harbhajan Singh’s indifferent form so far, he might turn outto be a crucial addition.Despite winning eight of their last 12 games, India, as Rahul Dravid hasadmitted, are yet to completely come to terms with the new ODI rules(Supersubs and Powerplays). They will be up against a side that havethrived under the innovations – with multi-dimensional players oozing outof every pore – and can easily have the momentum stolen from under theirnoses.As expected, security arrangements were beefed up for the game, with thefull knowledge that even a minor occurrence could be a black mark. Twodays ago, the local police were forced to -charge angry fans whoprotested against the non-availability of tickets but they will hope thatthe next two days pass without incident.

Paul Marsh, the Australian Cricketers’ Association chief executive, is worried a Twenty20 world championship would reduce the value of the game’s broadcasting rights and push players towards burnout. A global tournament is being planned by the ICC, but Marsh is concerned by the extra demands the competition would place on participants.”Whilst the addition of a Twenty20 world championship may provide short-term growth in media rights and other revenues, it is distinctly possible that there may be a long-term market shift away from one-day matches to Twenty20,” Marsh wrote in an association newsletter. “If this were to happen one would assume the value of media rights would decrease, given the reduced length of the game, and therefore the reduced amount of advertising space available for sale.”Marsh said it was for these reasons the Pakistan and India boards had not embraced the ICC’s idea, and he also wrote the players were already at “breaking point” with the amount of cricket being scheduled. reported Marsh pointed at the recent injury list of the Australia squad as evidence. Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Stuart Clark have already missed matches on the current tour of South Africa while Graeme Smith’s side suffered badly during the Test and one-day series earlier in the season.Australia have only four days between the third Test against South Africa and the first match against Bangladesh in Dhaka on April 9. South Africa flew straight from India to Australia before Christmas and Sri Lanka, the third team in the VB Series, had a brief stopover in Colombo on the way to Bangladesh.

The ICC has denied suggestions that its new Future Tours Program (FTP) does not conform to the agreed guidelines provided by players’ representatives. Malcolm Speed, the ICC’s chief executive, said the FTP fitted into the plan provided by players and their representatives, including FICA, the international players’ association, regarding the volume and scheduling of international cricket.”The guidelines, which have been supported at the ICC cricket committee, by the players at the captains’ meeting and by player representatives, including FICA, suggest the volume of cricket for national teams should not exceed 15 Test matches and 30 ODIs in a 12 month period,” Speed said. He added that the guidelines need to be interpreted with some flexibility, but that no side is scheduled to exceed the Test or ODI limit over any 12-month period.”In developing this FTP the ICC has sought regular input from players’ representatives, including FICA,” he continued. “In addition, our members attend ICC meetings as representatives of the sport in their countries and, as part of this, undertake to consult with their own players and their representatives on issues that impact directly upon them.”To try and make its point, the ICC produced tables to show the commitments of each full member country over the next six years. The first number refers to the Test matches, the second to the ODIs.

The number of ODIs does not take into account if a team makes the finals of Champions Trophy or World Cup, but Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager – cricket, said even those would only make a total of 91 matches of the six years.”The fact is, however, that everyone in the sport wants to see more international cricket than this bare minimum,” said Richardson. “International matches raise essential revenue for the boards, provide significant income for the players and excitement for supporters. One of the main reasons the original FTP was introduced was to ensure regular cricket for all Full Members, many of whom had never previously had any certainty in their forward planning. What this new FTP does is maintain the guarantee of a regular schedule while allowing members to modify their program to meet specific requirements they may have.”What the new programme doesn’t take into account are the random one-day tournaments that spring up around the globe, such as the India-Pakistan matches in Abu Dhabi and the proposed tour of Europe by the same teams. However, Richardson added that some countries wanted to play more cricket. “Several of our Members, including some of those where the players’ association is affiliated to FICA, maintain the view that they would like to be playing more cricket than they currently have scheduled.”On the flip side, India, who have more ODI matches scheduled than any other country, indicated at the recent ICC board meeting that their playing schedule was supported by their player group.When we canvassed the views of the Full Member captains at our captains’ meeting, we found that as well as those who supported the current guidelines, there were some that wanted to play more international cricket.”Overall we think the balance that has been struck by this new FTP is about right and we believe that in conjunction with the ICC events it will help ensure that the sport continues to remain popular with players, supporters, broadcasters and sponsors.”

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has prohibited alcohol from being brought to international matches, as it seeks to comply with the International Cricket Council’s (ICC’s) Safety and Security Pro Forma. Starting with the first one-day international against Zimbabwe at Antigua today, alcohol will not be allowed into the stadiums, but will be sold from concessionaire stands within the grounds at respective matches.”We want to meet our obligations as a member of the ICC and therefore it is important to adhere to this regulation,” Zorol Barthley, the WICB’s chief cricket operations officer, said. “Cricket in the Caribbean is steeped in tradition, but we are operating in a global marketplace and we must keep pace with international standards. This policy is part of the ICC Safety and Security Pro Forma which will still permit the sale of alcohol by concessionaires. Making alcohol available in this manner will help match authorities to manage the level of alcoholic consumption by fans.”The ICC’s Safety and Security Pro Forma was designed to ensure a safe environment for the game. As per the rules, glass bottles and cans containing alcohol and soft drinks will not be sold to spectators. Plastic is the norm, and spectators will have to submit mandatory security checks of their bags and hampers.The decision to prohibit alcohol to ICC-sanctioned venues was taken at the ICC chief executives’ committee meeting back in June 2003, but came into effect on April 1 after a two-year implementation period. Clive Hitchcock, the ICC’s cricket operations manager, added: “The reason for the cut-off date of April 2006 was to give those members that do not have a policy plenty of time to implement it at international venues.”It remains to be seen how this goes down in the West Indies, where spectators who have traditionally enjoyed a glass of rum or bottle of beer purchased from outside the ground will have to change their ways.

Sachin Tendulkar is certain to undergo a fitness test on May 23, Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), confirmed on Thursday. The Indian squad for the four Tests against West Indies will be announced the next day.Reluctant to comment on his possible selection, Tendulkar told AFP, “At this moment the goal is to get fit as early as possible. That is what I was targeting for so many days.”Tendulkar underwent a satisfying net session at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai and also spent 90 minutes in the gymnasium, under the inspection of Ramji Srinivasan, the fitness trainer, Andrew Leipus, the former India team physio, and TA Sekar, the head coach. Leipus will take the final decision on Tendulkar’s fitness and submit a detailed report to the BCCI before the squad is announced.”I have been progressing well since May 15. Ramji Srinivasan and Andrew Leipus have really worked hard with me,” he said, acknowledging the efforts put in by the two to get him back in shape. “They introduced several exercises which helped me develop strength, obviously not to the level of competing right now. But it is getting better day by day.”Leipus hinted at the perils of Tendulkar over-exerting himself. “He is finding it comfortable here and is very cautious about the whole approach,” Leipus told “We had decided that he should take it really easy. For the kind of strain that he’s gone through he shouldn’t really be stretching himself too much.”Srinivasan highlighted Tendulkar’s overall approach and commitment to regaining fitness. “The focus he has on keeping himself fit and going is just unbelievable. He is going through routine sessions of physiotherapy, shoulder exercises, tubing and scapula stability exercises,” he said.Tendulkar will also be going to London to meet Andrew Wallace, the doctor who operated on his shoulder. “He knows what has been done inside the body. Whether I am going [to the West Indies] or not, I will still meet him and figure out how I am progressing.”

Kyle Mills has pulled out of New Zealand’s World Cup development tour to Australia so he can have surgery to correct an ankle injury. His place has been taken by Joseph Yovich, the Northern Districts seamer, on the trip for those players on the fringes of selection for the World Cup.Mills was troubled by the ankle problem during the recent tour of South Africa and chose to take this opportunity to ensure he is back to full fitness in time for the next New Zealand season and build-up to the World Cup.Yovich, 29, has been a solid performer at domestic level for a number of the seasons and in the 2005-06 season he took 22 wickets at 36.59 in first-class competition and 12 wickets at 28.58 in the one-day format. A batting average of 28 means he can be classed as an allrounder at state level.There are two teams for the development tour with Peter Fulton and Craig McMillan the captains. Players who have recently been left out of the New Zealand side such as James Marshall, Lou Vincent and Mathew Sinclair have the chance to press their claims.Team One Peter Fulton (capt), James Marshall, Graham Aldridge, Brendan Diamanti, Mark Gillespie, Jamie How, Michael Mason, Nathan McCullum, Peter McGlashan, Warren McSkimming, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Lou VincentTeam Two Craig McMillan (capt), Matthew Bell, Hamish Bennett, Gareth Hopkins, Bruce Martin, Chris Martin, Rob Nicol, Mark Orchard, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Mathew Sinclair, Richard Sherlock, Joseph Yovich

The Asia Cup will be played every alternate year and Pakistan will host the next round in 2008, as has been decided by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in its annual general council meeting in Kuala Lampur. It will be the first time that Pakistan willl host the tournament.Apart from that, as per the rotation policy, the presidency of the ACC will be handed over to Jayantha Dharmadasa, the Sri Lankan board president, Saleem Altaf, the PCB director-operations told . Dharmadasa will take over on July 1.The 2006 Indian edition of the tournament was to be played in February, but was postponed to 2008 after the Indian board complained of an already hectic schedule for the season. Sri Lanka are defending champions of the cup, which they hosted in 2004.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene heaved a sigh of relief after his team had beaten South Africa by one wicket in a nail-biting finish to win the second Test played in Colombo.Jayawardene who led the run chase with a scintillating century fell for 123 with his team 11 runs shy of the target of 352. It was finally left to the last pair Farveez Maharoof (29) and Lasith Malinga (1) to see Sri Lanka through and with it achieve a 2-0 series victory.”By far this was one of the best Test matches I have been involved in. I’ve lost a few hairs on my head and a couple of nails. It was definitely not a boring Test match. It was brilliant one,” said Jayawardene.Describing the tension in the dressing room after he got out, Jayawardene said, “We were very nervous when Murali got out. But Maharoof showed a lot of character for a young allrounder and batted really well.”When I got out I was definitely disappointed because I wanted to be there at the end to finish it off. It was a bit careless of me to play a shot like that and get out because I had done so much of hard work.”When you are chasing a big score and you get really close you don’t want to spoil everything by not getting there. That’s why the last 15 runs were huge for us. It was like trying to score 150.”Jayawardene praised the role Prasanna Jayawardene played with his knock of 30 out in a valuable stand of 78 for the sixth wicket.”When he came to bat with me, he took the initiative, rotated the strike and played his shots. You have to give credit to guys like him who do all the small work or what you called dirty work for the team,” he said.”We never gave up from the third day onwards. When we were pushed to the wall we had to do something special which we did and chase a record score for Sri Lanka. We haven’t chased this much before. Hopefully we can take this forward.”

Viewing the progress his team has made in the past ten months, Jayawardene said, “A lot of hard work is being done by the support staff. The guys are working very hard. When you do that the results will definitely show. It just didn’t happen overnight.”Jayawardene became only the fifth batsman to make over 500 runs in a two-Test series after Wally Hammond, Sanath Jayasuriya, Andy Flower and Matthew Hayden. He said he didn’t want to categorise his hundred or call it his best. The last few big hundreds I made I managed to get the side into winning positions to win matches,” he said.Ashwell Prince, South Africa’s first coloured Test captain, couldn’t hide his disappointment after his team had come so close to pulling off a dramatic victory. “Coming so close and not drawing level in the series is a bit of a disappointment. The biggest thing that I got is 100 percent support from everybody else. The guys knew we were missing some big players and we all had to pull together and that’s what happened,” said Prince.”I said to the boys at lunch you never know if we get a quick wicket after lunch we could get the last three for less than 10 runs because there was a lot of rough up there and with Muralitharan being the last guy anything can happen,” continued Prince. “That time there is a lot of pressure. You don’t want to make a mistake and you don’t want to play any big shots.””Nicky [Boje] created enough chances out there. He took four wickets and a few chances went down off his bowling. It’s hard to criticise him,” he said.Prince said the way his team played in the first Test and in this Test showed they had improved a lot. “We got more used to the conditions and if we had taken a few chances that came our way we could have won the match.”South Africa were handicapped in their attempts by a hamstring injury to their strike bowler Makhaya Ntini who did not take the field on the final day. “We tried to keep Makhaya on the ground yesterday afternoon if the new ball becomes available so that he could take it. We were hoping that with some treatment he would pull through. Unfortunately he still had a niggle,” said Prince.The South African captain rated Sri Lanka as “a very good side playing in their conditions” and rated Muralitharan as a “world beater”.