As the ICC deadline by which India must confirm that Virender Sehwag will not play in the first Test against England approaches, cricket chiefs are involved in last-minute negotiations to try to avert the crisis. The Indian cricket board (BCCI) have until 06.30 (GMT) on Friday to confirm Sehwag's omission from the 14-man squad announced on Wednesday.

Despite the public stalemate, sources close to the BCCI insist that their president, Jagmohan Dalmiya, and ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, have been in regular contact. "Speed and Dalmiya have been on the phone all day," the news agency AFP quote one source as saying. "Everyone is sure a way will be found to end the impasse before the deadline."

According to another report, on the Indian website sify.com, Dalmiya is prepared to drop Sehwag. They quote a senior BCCI board official as saying that "Sehwag will not be played at Mohali and the ICC, in turn, will soften its stand on Tendulkar and address some of the concerns of the Indian Board.

"But a solution will be found so that the Mohali Test and the English tour will go on. That much is certain."

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