ICC panel to probe Denness controversy

The International Cricket Council has announced constitution of a three-member panel to probe the Mike Denness controversy.

However, Richie Benaud and Imran Khan, two of the nominees of the Board of Control for Cricket in India chief Jagmohan Dalmiya, would not be able to join the panel owing to personal and business reasons.

The penal will comprise Justice A L Sachs of South Africa as chair of the commission, with two former cricketers Majid Khan of Pakistan and Andrew Hilditch of Australia.

"In accordance with the terms of the agreement with the BCCI, the ICC consulted on the composition of the panel, and put forward a number of its own nominees. Two of these, Richie Benaud and Imran Khan, were approached with a view to joining the panel but for personal and business reasons were unable to accept the invitation," ICC President Malcolm Gray said on Thursday night.

Justice Sachs is a member of South Africa's Constitutional Court and has been a member of ICC's Code of Conduct Commission since its formation in 1999. Majid Khan, a former Pakistan captain, has served as an ICC match referee and is a past chief executive of the Pakistan Cricket Board.

Andrew Hilditch was an opening batsman and vice-captain with the Australian team of the late 1970s and mid 1980s. He is an Australian Cricket Board national selector and a practising solicitor in Adelaide.

"This is a commission of quality and integrity and one which combines outstanding cricket pedigree with a high degree of legal and administrative expertise. I am entirely confident that it will fulfil its brief to the satisfaction of all parties," Gray said.

Setting up of the commission was part of a deal between ICC and BCCI to defuse the crisis triggered by the decision of match referee Mike Denness to hand down harsh punishments to six Indian cricketers during the second India-South Africa Test in Port Elizabeth which threatened to split the international cricketing community.

As per the terms of reference, the commission will consider whether the ICC match referee followed the procedures laid down in the ICC Code of Conduct.

However, "the commission will not review the actual disciplinary penalties imposed by the referee."

An ICC media release said the panel will meet next Monday and its findings and recommendations will be considered by the next ICC Executive Board meeting in mid March.

PTI

Complete coverage: The Mike Denness controversy