BCCI expects ATC tour proposal from ACC in next ten days

The Board of Control for Cricket in India expects to get in the next 10 days a proposal from the Asian Cricket Council regarding the Asian Test Championship tournament and would then write to the Government seeking permission for the Indian teams' tour to Pakistan.

"We expect the proposal from the ACC in the next 10 days - either by the end of this month or in the first week of the next month," BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele told PTI on the phone from Baroda. "Once the detailed ATC programme is received, we will send the tour proposal to the Sports Ministry," he said.

According to the tentative ATC schedule, India is expected to clash with Pakistan in Karachi from September 13 to 17.

The sending of the proposal by BCCI to the Government is likely to coincide with the visit of Gen Parvez Musharraf, who has just taken over as the President of Pakistan.

Asked whether the two months time left for the Septemberto-February tournament would be enough for the clearance to be obtained from the Government, Lele said "It is not a simple invitation that we would receive from the ACC.

"The proposal will contain details of the match fee, guarantee money, the venues where the matches are to be played. It is not a simple invitation. It has to contain all details of the matches," he said adding "We have to send the proposal to the Government 45 days before the start of an overseas tournament."

Asked whether he expected the Government to clear the tour in view of the recent stand not to play against Pakistan in bilateral matches, Lele said "We will send the proposal once we receive the detailed invitation. The rest of the decision is for the Government to take."

The Sports Ministry had recently taken objection to BCCI's unilateral statement that India would participate in ATC. It had said it was Government's prerogative to decide whether India would participate in the tournament or not and the Board could only make a formal request in this regard.

However, the Government had allowed Indian teams to play against Pakistan teams in other disciplines on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile, the ACC accepted the Indian demand that the final of the ATC be played in one of the two countries figuring in that match and not in Dhaka as originally scheduled.

"The Indian Board made a categorical demand that the ATC final should be hosted by one of the two contesting countries and Dhaka could hold it only if Bangladesh was a finalist," Lele, who had just returned after attending the three-day ICC Executive Board meeting in London, said.

The Indian demand was discussed at the ACC meeting which was held as part of the ICC Executive Board meeting.