Bacher denies threat to 2003 World Cup

Fakir Hassen

The 2003 cricket World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa, is not under any threat of cancellation because of the United Cricket Board of South Africa's decision to defy the International Cricket Council.

Ali Bacher, executive director of the CWC Committee, has said this, stating he was misquoted about the implications of the UCBSA decision.

Bacher was widely reported in the media in Johannesburg as having said that South Africa could lose the World Cup after the UCBSA decided unilaterally to remove controversial referee Mike Denness from the third and final Test against India, which statred on Friday at the Centurion.

This followed a refusal by the ICC to replace Denness, who meted out sentences to six Indian players at the second Test at Port Elizabeth earlier this week that has caused great anger. India had threatened to pull out of the game if Denness was not removed.

But Bacher, suggesting that he had been misquoted, said he had merely wanted to put into context the fact that South Africa did not own the CWC, but the ICC did.

"There are no negative implications of the UCBSA action for the World Cup," Bacher said.

"We are far down the road with various organisations, involvement with sponsors and the ICC. Everything is going very well. The 2003 Cricket World Cup will take place in South Africa in 14 months time," Bacher emphasised.

The Mike Denness controversy

Indo-Asian News Service

India's tour of South Africa : Complete coverage

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