LAHORE, Nov 30: England will play the third One-day International in Karachi as scheduled on Dec 15 as the city is safe. “We reviewed the security situation and found the city is safe and England are going to Karachi to play as scheduled,” David Morgan the chairman English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) told a press conference, jointly addressed by International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Michael Speed and PCB chairman Shaharyar M Khan on Wednesday.
Morgan, however, emphasised that the ECB had been reviewing the security situation and on that basis he was confirming Karachi as the venue for the third match. He stressed that as a good number of days (15 days) were left to hold match in Karachi, so the ECB would continue reviewing the situation till last minute.
The ECB was reluctant to play a Test match in Karachi on security grounds and after lot of negotiation it stood by its stand and only agreed for a One-day.
The venue again came under discussion after a bomb blast in Karachi near the hotel where England are to stay.
Morgan said that he was hopeful that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would agree to the demand of the ECB for the change of venues from small cities.
England are to visit India in January next year. Morgan said that as the new body of the BCCI had been elected and hopefully the issue would be resolved as soon as possible.
He denied a report that the England could play two side matches in Pakistan before landing in India.
ICC chief executive Speed said that to resolve the matter of less number of overs being bowled in a day during the ongoing series between Pakistan and England due to bad light there was a need to hold discussions on the issue.
“The PCB can bring the matter before the ICC and all the members will discuss every option and come out with a solid solution,” he said.
In ongoing third Test at Qadhafi Stadium only 77 overs could be bowled on the first day and 69+2 on the second due to poor visibility.
Speed said that though the stadium was equipped with the floodlights, long duration play with red ball was not possible. Shaharyar said that the matter needed immediate attention of the ICC and added that November and December were most suitable months for cricket in Pakistan.
Commenting on controversial decisions of the umpires, Speed said every decision of every umpire had always been checked by the ICC under a modified process.
“The ICC examines every debatable decision under the captains and match referees’ reports to evaluate the performance of an umpire and to give him marks,” he said.
He said that number of the elite panel of umpires would be raised, adding it could be 10 or more.
Speed disagreed to the suggestion that the ICC rules on suspect bowling action were being used unfairly against the bowlers of sub-continent.
“It is only because of the new rules that Shoaib Malik was allowed to bowl, otherwise, he would have been suspended for one year,” he said.
Over the latest development in the Zimbabwe Cricket Board, Speed said that the situation was really disappointing for all the cricket playing countries as well as the ICC.
However, he said that the ICC would not interfere in the affairs of Zimbabwe cricket.
“In the past the players association of the West Indies called the ICC to intervene in an issue with their board over the central contract and similarly a lot of politics was involved in the elections of the BCCI, but the ICC stuck to its policy to have a close watch of the situation instead of interference,” he said.
Zimbabwe captain Tatenda Taibu had resigned while some other cricketers had refused to play for the country until the completion of an inquiry conducted by a commission into the affairs of the Zimbabwe Cricket Board.