Gavaskar meets Speed, asked to give explanation

The International Cricket Committee has confirmed that it8217;s CEO Malcolm Speed and Sunil Gavaskar, the chairman...

The International Cricket Committee ICC has confirmed that it8217;s CEO Malcolm Speed and Sunil Gavaskar, the chairman of world body8217;s Cricket Committee, met in Dubai today for discussions after the former India captain was asked to explain a possible conflict of interest because of his dual role as an ICC office-bearer and a columnist.

According to a statement released by the ICC: 8220;It was agreed that Sunil would convey his views to the ICC having chaired the upcoming meeting of the ICC Cricket Committee. The ICC Board will review the matter at its next meeting, during the ICC Annual Conference week. The ICC Cricket Committee is scheduled to meet on May 5 and 6 while the ICC Annual Conference week will take place between 29 June and 4 July.8221;

The ICC, it is learnt, is wary of removing a person of Gavaskar8217;s stature but sources say that his tenure may not be extended after his term ends in 2010. It has been eight years since Sunil Gavaskar succeeded Clyde Walcott as chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee. Throughout his tenure, he has been doing television commentary and writing his syndicated columns. Therefore, questions are arising about why the ICC never raised the issue in the past.

But, according to an ICC source: 8220;Trouble has been brewing for several years, with Gavaskar writing against apex body on certain sensitive issues. Speed, too, had raised objections in the past and had requested Gavaskar to be less critical in his comments.8221;

The ICC Cricket Committee also includes a media representative 8212; presently Michael Holding, the former West Indian cricketer and commentator. Holding has also been critical of ICC on several issues, including Test status to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. The Board of Control for Cricket in India BCCI, which had asked chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar to stop writing newspaper columns citing a similar conflict-of-interest concern, said it would not intervene because the matter was between the world body and Gavaskar, and did not involve them.

What is the Cricket Committee?

According to the regulations and committee formed by the ICC, the Cricket Committee 8220;is to discuss and consult on any cricket-playing matters and to formulate recommendations to the Chief Executive Committee CEC which relate to cricket-playing matters. Any recommendations made by the ICC Cricket Committee will not take effect until they are ratified and/or approved by CEC and the Board.

Members: Chairman: Sunil Gavaskar; Past players 2: Ian Bishop and Mark Taylor; Representatives of current players 2: Kumar Sangakkara and Tim May.; Full Member team coach representative 1: TBC; Member Board representative 1: Duleep Mendis; Umpires8217; representative 1: Simon Taufel; Referees8217; representative 1: Ranjan Madugalle; Marylebone Cricket Club representative 1: Keith Brashaw; Statistician 1: David Kendix; Media 1: Michael Holding; Associate representative 1: Steve Tikolo