Fresh controversy for ICC, this time it's car passes

The contract dispute may have been resolved at the eleventh hour, but the International Cricket Council (ICC) faced fresh controversy on the opening day of the ICC Champions Trophy - the "car pass and complimentary ticket scandal".

When ICC officials opened the state-owned Daily News at breakfast this morning, expecting the back pages to be filled with considered analysis on the opening match, they were shocked to read a vitriolic attack one of their employees.

Chris Tetley, in charge of the tournament's logistics, stands accused of "damaging the high image of the ICC." His crime? The refusal to grant car passes and match tickets to high-ranking officials in the Sri Lanka cricket board.

During normal tours to Sri Lanka the distribution of match tickets and passes is one of the perks of the job, but the ICC Champions is managed directly by the ICC. Tighter controls have apparently angered some local officials.

An unnamed former manager was seething: "This is a case of foreigners coming and telling us how many of us should come, where we should watch the match from and where to park our vehicles. There is an element of a colonial hangover here."

A Sri Lankan player was also upset: "This is the only chance I get to play in front of my family, but sadly that chance too has now been stopped."

The journalist, normally a business writer, was requested to write the story by senior management in the Daily News, the chairman of which is also a member of the interim committee running the affairs of the cricket board.

The report notes indignantly: "The ICC issued eight car passes for the eleven members of the Board and the members were preparing last night to draw lots as to who will have the privilege to go by car for the opening ceremony."

The ICC, their annoyance palpable, preferred to not pass comment after the articles publication, keen for the media's attention to finally focus on the cricket. But they did reveal that 342 match tickets were issued to the cricket board, 120 to VIPs and 75 to the players for the opening game.