Replace Denness for third Test: BCCI

The Board of Control for Cricket in India, in a rare show of strength, has demanded that the ICC immediately replace match referee Mike Denness for the third Test, starting at Centurion Park on Friday, November 24.

In a strongly-worded statement, signed by board president Jagmohan Dalmiya at the end of an emergency meeting of the board executive, the BCCI said a section of the players had wanted to pull out of the ongoing series; the players unanimously felt they would get no fair treatment from Denness, and his continuance as match referee is unacceptable to the board.

The board has informed the ICC that in the event a match referee from the ICC panel is not immediately available, they will accept any South African referee, or any former player -- but have no confidence whatsoever in Mike Denness.

"If no panel referee is available, any former cricketer of repute is acceptable to us," the statement said.

Further, the BCCI has asked that all decisions taken by Mike Denness and announced this morning be held in abeyance, and reviewed by an ICC panel. If the panel then decides that the decisions are correct, the board has agreed to accept that verdict. What this demand really means, though, is that if the ICC agrees and Denness's decisions are held back pending review, then Virendra Sehwag can play in the third Test.

The board, which categorically said the team is continuing with the tour rather than pulling out only in order not to disappoint the cricket fans of South Africa, has stated that it intends to take up the issue very strongly with the ICC.

As press conferences go, this one was unusual -- in that a board that has never been known to back its players for once came out swinging. Within minutes of Denness formally announcing his decisions, the board announced an emergency meeting of the executive committee. And then followed this unusual statement, taking a strong stance in favour of the players and in defiance of the ICC.

Attacking Denness for his "inconsistent" decisions "targeted against only one participating team", Dalmiya informed that board secretary Niranjan Shah met ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, now in Bombay, and demanded the referee's removal.

Speed is believed to have promised to speak to the ICC president Malcolm Gray and intimate a response to the BCCI by Wednesday.

Asked about the board's next step, Dalmiya replied, "We are awaiting the ICC's response before deciding our future course of action."

Rallying behind the team, Dalmiya said that the punitive measures were not only shocking to the Indian team, but also to the BCCI.

"It's most unfortunate that the decisions have been targeted against only one team. I don't know whether that is due to coincidence or by design," he added.

Dalmiya, who had a detailed telephonic conversation with the team management including skipper Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar last night, said at the moment the team was very disturbed.

"At this juncture, they feel that they may not get fair decisions and judgement and hence were unwilling to take to the field today. But I persuaded them to get on with the game by making them understand that this will be a very harsh decision for the South African public and the United Cricket Board of South Africa," he said.

Dalmiya praised the team on its performance on the concluding day of the Test saying: "I am happy that they are fighting it out. Their application today is praiseworthy."

Also read:
Mike Denness, put up or shut up!

India's tour of South Africa: Complete coverage