ATC proposal likely in 10 days

The Board of Control for Cricket in India expects a proposal on the Asian Test championship from the Asian Cricket Council within the next 10 days, after which it will seek the government's permission for the Indian team to tour Pakistan.

"We expect the proposal from ACC in the next 10 days -- either by the end of this month or in the first week of the next month," BCCI secretary Jaywant Lele said over phone from Baroda.

"Once the detailed ATC programme is received, we will send the tour proposal to the Sports Ministry," he added.

As per the tentative ATC schedule, India is expected to play Pakistan in Karachi from September 13 to 17.

If the proposal comes as expected, it could be sent to the government for clearance around the time Pakistan president General Parvez Musharraf visits India.

Asked whether the two months time left for the September- to-February tournament would be enough for clearance, Lele said: "It is not a simple invitation that we would receive from the ACC.

"The proposal will contain details of match fees, guarantee money and venues where the matches are to be played. It is not a simple invitation. It has to contain all details of the matches," he said, adding: "We have to send the proposal to the government 45 days before the start of an overseas tournament."

Asked whether he expects the government to clear the tour in view of its recent stand not to play Pakistan in bilateral cricket matches, Lele said: "We will send the proposal once we receive the detailed invitation. The rest of the decision is for the government to take."

The Sports Ministry had recently taken objection to BCCI's unilateral statement that India would participate in the ATC. It had said it was the government's prerogative to decide whether India would participate in the tournament or not and the board could only make a formal request in this regard.

The Indian government has had no objection to Indian teams playing against Pakistan teams in other disciplines on both sides of the border.

Meanwhile, the ACC accepted the Indian demand that the final of the championship be played in one of the two contesting countries, and not in Dhaka as originally scheduled.

"The Indian board made a categorical demand that the ATC final should be hosted by one of the two contesting countries and Dhaka could hold it only if Bangladesh is a finalist," Lele, who had just returned from the three-day ICC executive board meeting in London, said.

The Indian demand was discussed at the ACC meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the ICC meeting.

Mail Cricket Editor