ICC to debate on future tours, penalties

The under-fire International Cricket Council (ICC), in a face-saving effort, Monday said it would discuss Future Tours Programme (FTP) and penalties for non-compliance with future commitments in October's executive board meeting at Kuala Lumpur.

"Among the proposals for discussion are financial penalties of up to $2 million for host countries failing to fulfil FTP fixtures and in the case of a visiting country, a penalty equivalent to the budgeted gross revenues the home team expected to receive from the tour," ICC's Australian chief executive Malcolm Speed said in a statement to Dawn from London. "This figure would include TV and media rights," the statement added.

The ICC, which has failed to tackle serious issues, has been forced to come out with a future policy decision following local media backlashing over its lousy attitude in rescheduling New Zealand tour to Pakistan. The tour has cancelled due to prevailing situation in the country in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on the United States.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), who are set to lose approximately $2million from New Zealand cancellation, also suffered massive financial losses (estimated to be around $15million) when India cancelled a scheduled tour to Pakistan earlier this year.

To rub salt to the wounds, Pakistan also lost to generate revenues worth Rs 20million after India ditched the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) and withdrew from the Asian Test Championship.

While the ATC was not a sanctioned ICC competition, the Indian and New Zealand tours were in accordance with ICC's much publicized 10-year programme which was constituted, approved and implemented last year. But the game's controlling body last week said it was not its responsibility to reschedule the cancelled tours.

"(The) ICC sets the schedule with the 10-year tour programme, but after that it is the responsibility of the individual countries to fulfil the fixtures," the ICC had said on Sept 19.

While the fresh announcement would certainly bring back smiles on the faces of cash-strapped PCB officials, it would leave the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in an awkward position.

According to the 10-year programme, India are scheduled to cross borders three times. If ICC's penalty proposal gets thumps up next month, India will be fined at least $5million for each time they break the commitment over the next 10 years.

Speed further revealed that points for the ICC Test Championship would also be discussed at Kuala Lumpur meeting in case of cancellation of a series. "The discussion paper suggests that the offending country and the team it plays against in any unauthorised series, are both docked two points from their totals in the ICC Test Championship table," he said.

The Australian added: "Instances of force majeure, natural disaster or where the safety of players and officials is at risk, would be regarded as acceptable cases of non compliance.

"An ICC Disputes Committee would adjudicate on contentious cases and the onus of proving that non-compliance was acceptable would fall on the country that had not complied with the FTP program."

In an another somersault, the newly appointed ICC chief executive said he had been in regular touch with the PCB and New Zealand Cricket since the postponement of the series which was to be played between Sept 19 and Oct 24.

"At the time the postponement was announced, the ICC urged New Zealand Cricket to monitor the situation closely and aim to reinstate the tour if it became possible," Speed said.

Speed, who took over from David Richards this year, is known for his trouble-shooting skills, no matter if they are at the cost of the game.

Speed was the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive while current ICC president Malcolm Gray was the ACB chairman in 1994-95 when Mark Waugh and Shane Warne were fined for accepting bribes during the 1994 tour to Sri Lanka. The penalties were not publicized until 1998-99. Ironically, Gray and Speed supported their two players and Tim May who accused Salim Malik of offering bribe during the 1994 Karachi Test.

Speed also hit back at former Pakistan stalwarts who blamed the ICC for being an ineffective body. Responding to Hanif Mohammad, Hasib Ahsan, Salahuddin Ahmad and Arif Abbasi's comments last weeks, Speed said: " None of these individuals chose to contact the ICC before making their comments, and on that basis none can be fully informed about the specifics of this situation.

"I am not prepared to accept criticism that includes charges of lacking professionalism and bias in this, or any other important matter." These measures demonstrate how seriously the ICC is taking the whole issue of tour commitments and the nature of the discussions that will take place next month.

"If the individuals had bothered to acquaint themselves with the full information they may have been able to present better informed and more accurate views to cricket followers in Pakistan," added Speed.