Dalmiya-Speed meeting a sensible way out: PCB

The Pakistan Cricket Board today welcomed the proposed meeting between Indian cricket board chief Jagmohan Dalmiya and International Cricket Council President Malcolm Gray and CEO Malcolm Speed to resolve the crisis arising out of the inclusion of Virender Sehwag in the forthcoming first Test against England.

Reacting to ICC-BCCI talks, PCB Director, Brig Munawar Rana said in Islamabad that it was the most sensible thing to do at this stage, as the consequences for its fall out on world cricket would be grave. He said such a move to sort the differences that threatened the stability of the world cricket was a step in the right direction and PCB welcomed it.

The PCB, which openly supported the stand taken by the BCCI on its confrontation with the ICC over match referee Mike Denness' rulings over Sachin Tendulkar and other Indian cricketers in second Test match against South Africa, appeared uneasy over the Sehwag affair.

As the fresh row developed between the ICC and BCCI, PCB expressed its concern and called for immediate resolution to discuss the crisis arising out of Mike Denness rulings.

Brig Rana said while the BCCI-ICC meeting was welcomed to sort out the immediate crisis, it now appears from the recent crisis that the constituent members of the ICC played a role in defusing the crisis that loomed large over cricket.

He said that if the BCCI and ICC failed to resolve the issue, it would be important for all the other Boards to intervene and help to resolve the differences.

The Mike Denness controversy

Mail Cricket Editor