ACC to go ahead with ATC even if India pull out

The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that it will go ahead with the Asian Test Championship as per schedule even if India pulled out of the meet though it was prepared to "bend backward" to ensure that all countries participate.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been given time till August 23 to confirm participation in the championship and the ACC was hopeful that the Indian Government will allow the Indian team to play in Pakistan.

"The Indian Board has been asked to confirm whether they will play in the championship by August 23. We are hopeful of getting a favourable response from them", Jagmohan Dalmiya, chairman of the Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) which implements the ACC programmes, told a press conference in Kolkata on Thursday.

Dalmiya said that the BCCI secretary, JY Lele had been invited to attend the ACF conclave to discuss the issue. "The BCCI was expecting to get the clearance from the Indian Government by Monday", Dalmiya said. He said that the ACC was willing to 'bend backward' and give a couple of more days to India if it could help in ensuring their participation but not at the cost of disrupting the entire ATC schedule.

"Obviously, the championship will lose much of its glamour if India pulled out. But the cricket has to go on. It is desirable that all four countries play since the world is looking at this meet", he said.

Dalmiya said that the ACC had drawn up the Asian Test Championship schedule after the BCCI had submitted a letter from its government stating that it had no objection to India playing Pakistan in multilateral tournaments. He said that the championship will begin on schedule with Pakistan taking on Bangladesh in Multan on August 29 while three matches were scheduled in September.

Asked whether the ACC was contemplating any penalty on the BCCI if they withdrew from the Championship, Dalmiya said "We are not thinking of penalties. We want that India should play."

On the playing conditions for the second edition of the championship, Dalmiya said that the ACC's Technical Committee met today under the chairmanship of Sunil Gavaskar and finalised the playing conditions and the points system. The Technical Committee decided that the standard playing conditions adopted by the International Cricket Council, which would be applicable from September 1, would be followed in the matches of the Asian Test Championship.

The committee devised a new points system in order to determine the finalists as well as to promote attractive cricket in the Test championship, Dalmiya said. It has been decided that a team achieving an innings victory in a match would earn 16 points, while it would earn 12 points if it wins outright.