Speed gives USA a fortnight to name a side
The ICC has given the warring parties inside the USA until the end of the month to reach an agreement on a side to send to the ICC Trophy in Ireland
Cricinfo staff
16-May-2005
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The USACA named a 30-man squad as well as officials a fortnight ago, but this was condemned by opponents as being unrepresentative.
There was increased speculation over the weekend that the ICC was about to pull the plug on the USA's involvement in the tournament in the light of ongoing bickering between the two factions who both claim to represent the USA Cricket Association.
In a letter sent today to the two sides' lawyers, Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, suggested that the Honourable Julian Hunte, ambassador for St Lucia to the United Nations, be appointed to act as the convenor of a panel to pick a mutually-agreed USA side. Each party to the dispute would name two people to sit on the panel with Hunte. Speed urged the two sides to agree to select the best team and asked that "all current disagreements be put aside and disregarded for this purpose."
The offer was immediately accepted by the group opposed to Gladstone Dainty. "We whole heartedly welcome the suggestion and look forward to working with Hunte to act as the
convener of a panel to pick a mutually-agreed USA side," they wrote to Speed, adding that a request that Hunte's involvement be extended to include picking the team's managment as well.
Speed also confirmed that the USACA board led by Dainty had refused to agree to arbitration by the ICC's Dispute Resolution process. As a result, that offer had been withdrawn, but Speed warned that the ICC retained the right "to invoke the Dispute Resolution process should it find itself in dispute with USACA."
He concluded: "In light of recent correspondence it now seems likely that this matter will result in litigation or arbitration. The future conduct of this dispute is a matter for the parties and ICC will not be involved in those proceedings."