BCCI questions suspended sentence to Sachin

Welcoming the ICC's latest stand on the raging controversy, BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya said, "So now, a cricket icon in India has been exonerated of the charge of ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute. This is very good."

"Now the immediate question is whether Sachin's actions warranted the suspended sentence for one Test," he added.

He also pointed out a number of flaws in the manner in which the controversial match referee Mike Denness conducted the inquiry and handed down punishment to Tendulkar.

In a letter to ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed, Dalmiya raised these points while quoting extensively from the ICC Code of Conduct and regulations.

Earlier, ICC Spokesman Jonathan Hamus said in London that Tendulkar had not been found guilty of ball tampering and he was punished merely for removing grass from the ball during the Port Elizabeth Test without informing the umpires.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said that it was hopeful of reaching a 'negotiated settlement' with the BCCI in the next two days although it ruled out any compromise on the contentious issue of batsman Virender Sehwag's inclusion in the Indian team for the first Test against England at Mohali.

Reminding that Friday remained the absolute deadline for the BCCI to resolve the issue, ICC spokesman Jonathan Hamus said, "Both ICC CEO Michael Speed and BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya are having conversations. We are focussing on these conversations and are hopeful of achieving a solution by Friday."

Mail Cricket Editor