Pakistan not to host Champions Trophy, 2009 venue later: ICC

Perth, February 1: The Board accepted that, with several members expressing reservations about touring Pakistan, it would be prudent to relocate the event, scheduled for September/October, from that country.

In view of the challenges facing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which are out of its control, the Board agreed that, irrespective of the location of the event, Pakistan would retain the revenue due for hosting the tournament. The Board resolved to make a decision on the location for the event before its next scheduled meeting, in April. The Board also resolved to offer to form a task team to visit Pakistan and work with the PCB to find ways to ensure that, wherever possible, international cricket is played in the country in the future.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 will be an event featuring the top eight ODI sides in a short, sharp best-of-the-best tournament involving two groups of four teams with round robin matches followed by two semi-finals and a final.

Mr Lorgat said: “It is unfortunate the ICC Champions Trophy will not take place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the control of the PCB. However, the Board has accepted the need for certainty in planning for and delivering a world-class event and will now assess where the event should be held.”

Oval Test match, England v Pakistan, 2006

After reconsideration of the matter, which included consideration of legal advice and input from the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, the Board decided that the original umpires’ decision to award the match to England, should apply.

The Board had originally changed the result to “match abandoned as a draw” in July 2008. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I’m gratified the Board reached the conclusion it did as this ensures the integrity of the game and the Laws of Cricket have been upheld. I am especially grateful to the PCB for its understanding in this matter.”

ICC World Twenty20 2010

The Board accepted the West Indies Cricket Board’s recommendation that the ICC World Twenty20 2010 be staged in Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia. It further agreed to the staging of a joint men’s and women’s event, mirroring the 2009 event in England, that the women’s group matches would be played in St Kitts and that the women’s semi-finals and final would take place on the same days and at the same venues as the men’s matches.

Regulations governing domestic cricket events and approved/disapproved cricket

The Board agreed to new regulations relating to the above subjects following recommendations from a working party consisting of former Cricket South Africa President Norman Arendse, Giles Clarke, the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar, BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi and ICC’s Head of Legal David Becker.

The rationale for the new regulations was the need for clarity over how and who decides if an event is approved or disapproved and the sanctions available if there are any breaches of those regulations.

It was agreed that a host member could determine if a match or tournament within its territory was approved or disapproved. The ICC would also be given power to make such a determination in a non-member territory.

It was agreed that no foreign player could take part in domestic cricket unless he obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from his home Board. It was also agreed that no members, members’ players, coaches or match officials could participate in disapproved cricket.
The new regulations will be implemented from June 1, 2009, and added to the ICC website in due course.