ICC not under pressure from BCCI

Mohali, Oct 18 (UNI) The International Cricket Council (ICC) today refuted allegations that it was under pressure of the Indian Board and take decision or direction at the behest of the World's richest cricket body.

''I don't think it is correct to say that BCCI dictates ICC or its functioning,'' ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told mediapersons here.

''This perception is wrong, on the other hand I must say that during my interaction with the Indian board I found them most cooperative, some of the decision which took were fully supported by them,'' he said.

The decision to hold Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year would not have been possible if Indian board had not cooperated, he said adding that ICC board takes its decisions without being infulenced by any board.

He also asserted that ICC will continue with its Zero Tolerance policy regarding doping. ''There is no question of any relaxation on this policy.'' He announced that the West Indies will host the World Twenty20 Championship in 2010. The event will be held in place of the Champions Trophy that was to be hosted by West Indies that year ''With the Champions Trophy set to be hosted by Pakistan in 2009 after its cancellation this year, we decided to have a Twenty20 World Championship instead in April-May 2010 in West Indies,'' he said.

''Although World Twenty20 is to be held every second year, we decided to hold it on the trot to set the calendar right and ensure a better spread of tournaments.'' The event, slated to be held from April 23 to May 9, will be staged at three venues to be chosen by the ICC Board in January next year following nominations from the West Indies Cricket Board.

''With the ICC Champions Trophy being the final major ICC event of 2009, and the ICC Cricket World Cup being the 50 over event in 2011, it makes perfect sense to have a tournament of a different format in between,'' Lorgat said.

''It means we will avoid staging the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Cricket World Cup close together, as happened in 2002-03 and 2006-07.

''We will aim to make both those events special to ensure we have a great blend of the ICC's three majors, with two ICC World Twenty20s (2009 in England and 2010 in the West Indies) as well as an the ICC Champions Trophy (in 2009) and an ICC Cricket World Cup (in 2011) over the next three years.'' India won the inaugural World Twenty20 Championship in South Africa last year.

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