Super-sub rule scrapped

The ICC Board ended the super-sub trial ODI playing condition, adopted a new pitch-monitoring process, endorsed an anti-doping policy and received a report from the chairman of the Interim Committee of Zimbabwe Cricket on day one of its meeting in Dubai.

It also confirmed the minimum number of matches required for a team to be ranked on the official LG ICC ODI Championship table and agreed to revert to full recognition of the administration of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) subject to certain conditions.

Super-sub

The ICC Board has decided to end the super-sub trial playing condition with immediate effect. It also confirmed that the ODI trial playing condition relating to fielding restrictions should be referred to the Cricket Committee for further consideration.

Anti-doping

The Board has endorsed the adoption of an ICC Anti-Doping Policy for all major ICC events. The proposed policy complies with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code and its adoption at this year's ICC Annual Conference will formalize the ICC's commitment to drugs-free sport. 

ICC president Ehsan Mani said this was an important step for the sport.

"While there have been anti-doping programmes at all of the ICC's recent major events, these have been formulated on an event-by-event basis and have contained variations from the WADA Code," said Mr Mani.

"Once it has been approved by the Annual Conference in July, this new WADA-compliant policy will become mandatory for all major ICC events beginning with this year's ICC Champions Trophy in India."

Pitch-monitoring process

The Board has also proposed the first formal pitch-monitoring process for international cricket. This process, which has been adopted with immediate effect, includes potential sanctions ranging from a formal warning to a Member board fine or even suspension of international status for venues that produce substandard pitches.

The process is be based on the initial report of the Emirates Elite Panel Referee at the ground followed by a review conducted by the ICC General Manager – Cricket, David Richardson, and the Chief Match Referee, Ranjan Madugalle (or the Chairman of the Cricket Committee, Sunil Gavaskar, if the Chief Referee produced the initial report). An appeals process is available to the relevant Member board.

Zimbabwe

The Board received a progress report from Peter Chingoka, the chairman of the Interim Committee of Zimbabwe Cricket in which Mr Chingoka advised that:

- independent auditors had been appointed to conduct a forensic audit of Zimbabwe Cricket's finances in response to allegations made against it

- progress has been made towards developing a new constitution for Zimbabwe Cricket by the middle of this year

- continued negotiations were taking place regarding player issues

Zimbabwe Cricket will also be required to provide a report to the ICC Board at its October 2006 and March 2007 meetings reviewing the on-field performances of its teams ahead of any decision regarding its resumption of Test cricket.

LG ICC ODI Championship

The Board approved a recommendation that the minimum number of matches needed to be played by a side to qualify for a ranking on the LG ICC ODI Championship table should be eight matches.

This means that Kenya has now played sufficient matches in the qualifying period. The two matches it played in the ICC Champions Trophy 2004 have a 50 per cent weighting while its recent four matches against Zimbabwe and the opening two matches of its series against Bangladesh take it to the eight-match threshold.

Kenya is ranked 11th on the table with a rating of 18 points. It needs to win both remaining matches of its four match series against Bangladesh to climb to tenth spot and claim the last qualifying spot for the ICC Champions Trophy 2006.

United States of America Cricket Association (USACA)

The ICC Board agreed to revert to full recognition of the administration of the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) subject to certain conditions. These conditions include the conducting of independently-monitored elections before 30 November 2006.