** ICC to review chucking process **
Wisden Cricinfo staff - June 17, 2003
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has decided to take a second look at the process of tackling bowlers with suspect actions. The new method proposes to reduce the procedure from a two-stage process to a single-stage one, wherein the bowler with the suspect action will be directly dealt with by the ICC’s Bowling Review Group. In the earlier method, the bowler was first handed over to the home board for remedial measures. Only if that proved unsuccessful did the ICC step in.
The recommendation was made by the Cricket Committee – Management (CC-M) on the first day of the ICC’s week-long meetings. The ICC will now review the process and report back to the next meeting of CC-M with its recommendations.
The CC-M also decided to continue with neutral umpires for Test matches, rejecting the suggestion that umpires from the elite panel could officiate irrespective of the country they belonged to. The CC-M has proposed that this decision be reviewed by the Cricket Committee – Playing (CC-P) at their next meeting in March-April 2004.
The CC-M also took up the issue of illegal bats, stating that the player found guilty of using one would be charged with a Level 2 breach of ICC’s Code of Conduct – the fine for which could be the entire match fee, and a one-Test or two-ODI ban – while the manufacturer would be struck off their approved list.
Among other issues discussed were the Global Cricket Corporation’s compensation claim against the ICC for the World Cup 2003. The matter will come up for detailed discussion when the board of the ICC Development (International) Ltd, ICC’s commercial arm, meets in Monaco on Friday.
On the agenda on Tuesday is a meeting among the ICC’s associate members, who will discuss means to further spread the game in those countries. The recommendations made by the associate members will be heard in the ICC’s executive board meeting on Wednesday.