A tale of two cricket councils

The age-old maxim "In unity is strength" not only still holds good but is also not out of place in cricket. The solidarity expressed by member countries of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) at their meeting in Sharjah last weekend has had more than the desired effect. Initially there were fears that the show of unity on the issue of the composition of the International Cricket Council's Referees Commission to go into the Mike Denness controversy would trigger off a crisis that could put even Bodyline and match-fixing in the shade. But the ACC's decision to stand together put the ICC squarely on the defensive. It became quickly obvious that the game's governing body had to take a prudent step, for a wrong move on their part could well have the impact of a bomb, the explosion of which could engulf world cricket.

It can thus be clearly seen why a united asian body could seriously affect world cricket. The icc executive board comprises the 10 test playing nations and, according to an icc statement, south africa has also joined the asian bloc in requesting for the postponement.

In the event, the ICC has been pushed onto the back foot. The scheduled February 23 meeting of the Commission has been postponed and will now be held after the executive board meeting in Cape Town on March 15 and 16. This was the Indian stand, and one that received full backing at Sharjah.

The solidarity shown by the ACC was rather unexpected, given the fact that India ­ Pakistan cricketing ties have been strained, following the Indian government's decision not to play Pakistan anywhere and India's subsequent withdrawal not only from their scheduled tour of Pakistan but also from the Asian Test Championship. But the two powerhouses in Asian cricket put aside their differences, taking the view that the region's sentiments were not being respected.

This show of unity was certainly the most important feature of the meeting and one that could leave a shadow over cricketing matters worldwide. The Asian bloc has obviously decided to close ranks to take on the ICC over issues where there is a perception of being unfairly dealt with. This also means that the four-nation South Asian bloc's four votes, with the support of one more, could jettison any ruling taken at ICC executive board meetings, where there is need for a clear majority to force an issue.

It can thus be clearly seen why a united Asian body could seriously affect world cricket. The ICC executive board comprises the 10 Test playing nations and, according to an ICC statement, South Africa has also joined the Asian bloc in requesting for the postponement.

President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Jagmohan Dalmiya has won bouquets at home for his tough stance on the Denness controversy, even if he has largely received brickbats from abroad. He expressed his unhappiness at the composition of the Commission in no uncertain terms. Riding on a crest of popularity, Dalmiya obviously saw no reason why he should soften his stance.

Indeed, the Sharjah meeting ­ and the subsequent ICC decision to put off the Referees Commission meeting ­ can be termed as a triumph for Dalmiya. For one thing, he was able to firmly rally the ACC behind him to take on the ICC. He even managed to get Pakistan's backing on the issue, which, under the prevailing circumstances, was nothing short of a master-stroke, for apparently Pakistan, because of public and government pressure, initially did not want to go along with India.

Maintaining the pressure on the ICC, Dalmiya spoke of the need to democratise the body as, according to him, decisions were being taken by one or two individuals heading the organisation. "It is unfortunate that ICC is taking decisions without consulting its members," Dalmiya is quoted to have said. In its resolution, the ACC urged the ICC to halt the proceedings of the Referees Commission set up to look into the penalties handed out by match referee Denness during the second Test of the South Africa-India series late last year.

The ACC effectively forced the ICC onto the back foot by resolving that it was "deeply concerned over this dispute between the ICC and some of the member countries." The president of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Tauqir Zia, who is also the ACC chief, made it clear that while the ACC did not want a quarrel with the ICC, "we do want that the concerns of the member countries be listened to."

Indeed, the theme of the meeting, as spelt out by Zia, was that "Asia's voice must be heard." Again, one of the substantive resolutions at the conference stated that India would not tour New Zealand if the latter declined to go over to Pakistan for the rescheduled tour of the last winter in April. New Zealand were scheduled to tour Pakistan in October but cancelled such plans following the September 11 attacks in America. Subsequently, it has received written assurances on security fears from the Pakistan government.

Another resolution requested the ICC to set up a special fund to provide compensation to countries that suffer financial loss due to cancellation of a scheduled visit. A supplementary decision in this regard, which reflects the Asian solidarity on the issue, was that in case a country within or outside Asia fails to honour a commitment, other than for reasons beyond the control of the cricket boards, the four Test-playing nations of the sub-continent would refuse to visit or host that particular country. Pointing out that countries in the sub-continent had faced this problem for long, Dalmiya did not mince words. "Whenever they like, they have threatened not to tour the Asian countries. Now we are saying that if you do not tour our countries, we will not come to your place."

This kind of plain talking - whether justified or not - has obviously taken the ICC by surprise. But this does not mean that the last has been heard on the subject. ICC president Malcolm Gray has expressed his unhappiness at the postponement. According to him, it was "extremely disappointing that the work of a properly constituted commission, established after extensive consultations with the BCCI, has to be halted because of a pressure from within the executive board."

Taking the cue, other ICC members could also cause trouble at Cape Town. The stage is set for another round of negotiations and oneupmanship next month. One fear is that the issue could become a personal ego clash between some members who may want to settle personal scores, and that is one thing the burning issue ­ and the game - could do without.