ICC refuse to change Denness affair panel

The first meeting of the Referees' Commission to look into the Mike Denness affair has been set for February 23 despite Indian objections over the make-up of the three-man panel.

Membership of the commission was confirmed by the International Cricket Council on Thursday as South African judge Albie Sachs, who will chair the panel, supported by Majid Khan from Pakistan and Andrew Hilditch of Australia, both former Test players.

ICC president Malcolm Gray said in a statement: "There is a growing urgency for this commission to meet to discuss the detailed and complex issues involved and to produce its report in time for the ICC executive board meeting in mid-March."

The commission was set up as a compromise after India had match referee Denness sacked without ICC permission during their tour of South Africa late last year. The first meeting will be in Johannesburg.

India were unhappy with some of Denness's decisions and persuaded their South African hosts to sack him. The ICC responded by stripping the third and final match between the sides of its test status as the row escalated into a crisis.

The names of the commission were announced last week despite objections to the make-up by Board of Control for Cricket in India president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

CAREFULLY CONSIDERED

Gray said: "The objections raised... by Mr Dalmiya have been carefully considered but we retain every confidence in the ability of this panel to complete its task in a thoroughly professional fashion.

"Indeed, despite his concerns, Mr Dalmiya described these individuals as 'extremely respectable and brilliant in their own walks of life', in a letter to the ICC dated January 11 this year."

Names suggested by the BCCI had included Zimbabwean judge Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, an ICC match referee, Australia's Richie Benaud and Ian Chappell, and Gary Sobers and Clive Lloyd of West Indies. They were even prepared to accept England's David Gower, Geoffrey Boycott and former test umpire Dicky Bird.

Gray added: "The ICC is close to appointing a full time panel of five referees and the commission's report will be of direct interest to the individuals selected for that elite group and may well influence the way in which it operates in future.

"It is very important that the commission has the respect of all ICC members and we hope the BCCI will recognise its calibre and integrity and support it in the wider and best interests of the game."

The commission will review Denness's performance in the second Test in Port Elizabeth where he sanctioned six Indian players, including Sachin Tendulkar.

Issues for the commission include whether Denness followed the ICC's code of conduct, whether there should be a right of appeal against a decision of a match referee and whether the ICC should set up a specific code of conduct for match referees.

Complete coverage: The Mike Denness controversy

Mail Cricket Editor