No neutral venues, India tells Pakistan

It could be decision time for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), International Cricket Council (ICC), Wada and also the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). In the next few days, the cricket managers of the world are expected to take a final call on the anti-doping code and the Future Tours Programme (FTP) that also includes the India-Pakistan series.

It has been learnt that provisions for the Indo-Pak series have been made in the new FTP — that will come into force from May 2012 — but the matches are unlikely to be played at neutral venues. The BCCI has made it clear to the PCB and the ICC that it will not travel to a third country. The PCB officials, one may note, have been making statements about BCCI’s willingness to play at neutral venues. “We’ve made our stand clear,” a board official said. “The series has to be in India or Pakistan, and only after government’s clearance.”

The final draft of the FTP will come up for discussion, and also for approval, at the October 6-7 executive board meeting in Johannesburg. Beyond India-Pakistan issue, it will also consider a draft of the FTP, presented by the Chief Executives’ Committee “regarding ways in which greater context can be given to Test, ODI and T20 cricket.”

The ICC is also expected to decide on whether to accept the Wada code in the current form or approach the agency to prepare a cricket-specific code. The code has been on hold since the BCCI declared its helplessness to force the Indian players to comply with the whereabouts clause. The issue is not part of the agenda, released by the ICC on Sunday, but it is learnt that the matter will dominate the proceedings of the Johannesburg meet.

The world players’ union — the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) — has told the ICC that it has to put in place a universal code. “We’ve no problem with the Indian players’ reservation but whatever be the code, it has to be applicable to all the cricketers,” FICA president Tim May told DNA.

Meanwhile, a BCCI official claimed the other boards also see merit in their stand. “We’re no longer isolated in this matter. There has to be a cricket specific code.”

BCCI president Shashank Manohar will be present at the meeting, but Sharad Pawar, who is the vice-president of the ICC, won’t.