ICC has confirmed that it is setting up a referees' commission in response to complaints from the Board of Control for Cricket in India about Mike Denness's handling of the second South Africa-India Test at Port Elizabeth. The commission, which ICC will appoint in consultation with the BCCI, will, among other issues, look at the question of sides appealing against referees' decisions, and whether the referees themselves should be subject to a code of conduct.

The media release in full

ICC President Malcolm Gray today confirmed that an acceptable solution has been reached between the ICC and BCCI on the issues concerning the Test match due to be played between India and England in Mohali next week.

The ICC will establish a Commission ("The ICC Referees Commission") to examine and report to the ICC Executive Board on whether the ICC referee followed the procedures and acted in accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct, including the guidelines on the principles of natural justice as set out on page 55 of the Code, during the second Test match between India and South Africa from 16th to 20th November 2001 at Port Elizabeth.

The Commission will be appointed by the ICC in consultation with the BCCI. The Commission will consist of persons of the highest reputation and at least two of them will be reputed former cricketers.

The BCCI has agreed that it will instruct its selection panel not to include Virender Sehwag in the final 12 during the first Test match between India and England from 3rd to 7th December at Mohali.

The Referees Commission will also be asked to advise whether the following should be adopted as a part of the current restructuring of the ICC Match Referees Panel:

(a) Whether there should be a right of appeal against a decision of a match referee
(b) If there is to be a right of appeal, the best way to structure the system of appeals so that it is not used to obtain an unfair advantage
(c) Whether there should be an ICC Code of Conduct for match referees
(d) How ICC can best achieve consistency in the penalties imposed by match referees
(e) Whether it should be obligatory on the part of the ICC referees to explain their decisions to the media and the public, in the best interests of the game

The president of the BCCI, Mr Jagmohan Dalmiya, has confirmed his intention to raise grievances relating to this issue at the next meeting of the ICC Executive Board in March 2002. The ICC president, Mr Malcolm Gray, has welcomed this as the correct forum for the matters to be discussed in full, provided that the BCCI makes a written submission to the ICC concerning the second Test match in South Africa.

Malcolm Gray
President, ICC
Jagmohan Dalmiya
President, BCCI

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