da realbet： The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that it will go ahead withthe Asian Test Championship as per schedule even if India pulled outof the meet though it was prepared to "bend backward" to ensure thatall countries participate
16-Aug-2001The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) announced that it will go ahead withthe Asian Test Championship as per schedule even if India pulled outof the meet though it was prepared to "bend backward" to ensure thatall countries participate.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has been given timetill August 23 to confirm participation in the championship and theACC was hopeful that the Indian Government will allow the Indian teamto play in Pakistan."The Indian Board has been asked to confirm whether they will play inthe championship by August 23. We are hopeful of getting a favourableresponse from them", Jagmohan Dalmiya, chairman of the Asian CricketFoundation (ACF) which implements the ACC programmes, told a pressconference in Kolkata on Thursday.Dalmiya said that the BCCI secretary, JY Lele had been invited toattend the ACF conclave to discuss the issue. "The BCCI was expectingto get the clearance from the Indian Government by Monday", Dalmiyasaid. He said that the ACC was willing to ‘bend backward’ and give acouple of more days to India if it could help in ensuring theirparticipation but not at the cost of disrupting the entire ATCschedule."Obviously, the championship will lose much of its glamour if Indiapulled out. But the cricket has to go on. It is desirable that allfour countries play since the world is looking at this meet", hesaid.Dalmiya said that the ACC had drawn up the Asian Test Championshipschedule after the BCCI had submitted a letter from its governmentstating that it had no objection to India playing Pakistan inmultilateral tournaments. He said that the championship will begin onschedule with Pakistan taking on Bangladesh in Multan on August 29while three matches were scheduled in September.Asked whether the ACC was contemplating any penalty on the BCCI ifthey withdrew from the Championship, Dalmiya said "We are notthinking of penalties. We want that India should play."On the playing conditions for the second edition of the championship,Dalmiya said that the ACC’s Technical Committee met today under thechairmanship of Sunil Gavaskar and finalised the playing conditionsand the points system. The Technical Committee decided that thestandard playing conditions adopted by the International CricketCouncil, which would be applicable from September 1, would be followedin the matches of the Asian Test Championship.The committee devised a new points system in order to determine thefinalists as well as to promote attractive cricket in the Testchampionship, Dalmiya said. It has been decided that a team achievingan innings victory in a match would earn 16 points, while it wouldearn 12 points if it wins outright.