WELLINGTON, Feb 15: The row between England and former India captain Sunil Gavaskar seems set to rumble on with ECB chief executive Tim Lamb seeking the intervention of cricket’s governing body.

Gavaskar labelled England the “champion whingers of world cricket” in a column in the Hindustan Times after head coach Duncan Fletcher complained about practice facilities in Kolkata after the first One-day International against India in January.

Fletcher reacted angrily by questioning whether Gavaskar, who chairs the International Cricket Council’s playing committee, should be allowed to comment on another member country while serving as an ICC official.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) head raised the issue with ICC chairman Malcolm Speed at a meeting of chief executives this week in Christchurch, and it is understood the ICC will have words with Gavaskar.

“My job on behalf of the ECB and our team, who were understandably concerned about it, is to raise my concerns with Malcolm which I did to reinforce what Duncan Fletcher said publicly,” Lamb said Friday.

“I think it is unfortunate that somebody who is in a neutral position as chairman of a cricket committee should seek to make disparaging comments.

“So far as I’m concerned it’s not an excuse that he’s an honorary non-executive chairman.

“The fact is that our committee people in our counties and the ECB are bound by the same regulations and directives governing public statements as anybody who receives remuneration as administrator, player or whatever,” Lamb said.

“There is a dilemma and I don’t actually see that it’s any different that the guy is in a non-paid position. I have said what I’ve said to Malcolm Speed and I expect him to deal with it.”—AFPs