Thaindian News

Dubai, June 24 (IANS) The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) five-day annual conference starting Sunday in Hong Kong is expected to be a stormy affair as controversial issues like compulsory use of Umpires Decision Review System (UDRS), format of the 50-over World Cup and appointment of presidents will top the agenda.

The conference will start with ICC Chief Executives’ Committee meeting (June 26-27), followed by ICC Executive Board (June 28-29) and the Full Council (June 30).

The ICC in a statement said that the UDRS, which was recommended by the Cricket Committee for mandatory use in all forms of cricket, will come into affect if it is passed by the Executive Board.

“While acknowledging the broadcast contracts that currently exist, the ICC Cricket Committee was unanimous in its recommendation that UDRS should be used in all Test matches, and also unanimously recommended that UDRS should be used in ODI and T20I series with each side allowed one unsuccessful review per innings,” the ICC statement said.

“The suggestions were made following detailed technical analysis and supported by what the committee agreed was a successful application during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011,” it said.

The ICC is likely to propose a constitutional amendment to end the rotational policy in the appointment of ICC president. It will come into affect once the term of incumbent Sharad Pawar’s successor Alan Issac (New Zealand) is over in 2015.

Under the new proposal, the Executive Board will decide the process and term of office from time to time, subject to certain qualifying criteria. The ammendment will remove the current rotational system of nomination and the fixed term of appointment as set out in the ICC Articles of Association.

“The Full Council will also consider a further constitutional change to the process for the nomination and election of the ICC president. Under the new proposal, the Executive Board will decide the process and term of office from time to time, subject to certain qualifying criteria,” the ICC statement said.

“This would remove the current rotational system of nomination and the fixed term of appointment as set out in the ICC Articles of Association,” it said.

The ICC Executive Board will also reconsider its decision to limit the number of participating teams in the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand from 14 to only 10 full members. The move was severly protested by Associate Members and former cricketers.

“At its meeting in Mumbai on 4 April, 2011, after having previously agreed a 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the ICC Executive Board agreed that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 would comprise of 10 ICC Full Members. The Board also confirmed its decision taken in October 2010 that ICC World Twenty20 should be a 16-team event and that promotion and relegation would be introduced from 2019.

“These decisions were part of the package of strategic restructuring of bilateral cricket and ICC events aimed at providing greater context and content for international cricket. As part of this, a Test play-off for the top four teams was also approved to take place in England in 2013.”

“Following decisions and responding to representations from various quarters, ICC President Sharad Pawar will ask the ICC Executive Board to revisit its decision to restrict the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 to the 10 Full Members,” the statement said.

Other important matters to be taken up are day/night Test matches, amendments on the current code of conduct regulations to allow suspension of a captain after two offences for slow over-rate breaches (previously three).

The Executive Committee will also consider the recommendations of the Cricket Committee to use two balls in each ODI innings - one from each end.

“Currently the ball is replaced after 34 overs. It also recommended that teams should only be allowed to take the batting and bowling powerplays between overs 16 and 40,” the ICC said.

“The committee also suggested that trials of the following playing conditions be conducted in domestic cricket before being considered for international cricket — removal of the restriction on the maximum number of overs each bowler could deliver; no compulsory close-catchers; a maximum of four fielders outside the 30-yard fielding circle during non-powerplay overs; the number of bouncers that can be delivered per over to be increased from one to two.”