Asian Cricket Council to meet in Colombo Friday

Colombo, Dec 4 (IANS) Members of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) are meeting in Colombo Friday to discuss the development of the game among the member countries, even as India and the entire cricketing world recover from the shock of last week's Mumbai terror attacks, official sources said here Thursday.

It is not immediately known whether the present crisis being faced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a result of the Mumbai attack would be discussed at this meeting in Colombo.

'The agenda for the ACC meeting is basically to discuss ways and means to develop the game among the member countries. We do not know immediately whether problems faced by BCCI, a key member of the ACC, would be a subject for discussion here,' Media Manager of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Shane Fernando told IANS Thursday.

It was also not immediately known who will represent BCCI at this meeting.

Newly appointed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, Ijaz Butt is scheduled to arrive in Colombo Thursday noon to take part in the meeting.

The meeting is taking place at a time when the England team, which left India immediately after the Mumbai terror attack, cancelling two one day games, is set to return to India to play the first test from Dec 11 in Chennai.

Their return, however, depends on the English cricket team's security advisor Reg Dickason's assessment of the security plans in India.

The Mumbai attacks, which left 172 people dead, have cast further doubt on the likelihood of India's scheduled cricket tour of Pakistan in January.

Tension between the two countries heightened after suspected militants from Pakistan conducted coordinated attacks on India's financial hub last week.

Meanwhile, SLC has pledged its 'unreserved support' for the BCCI to help it recover from the crisis in the aftermath of the Mumbai attack.

SLC chief Arjuna Ranatunga Wednesday telephoned Sharad Pawar, the former president of the BCCI and offered SLC's 'full support' to help it overcome the crisis and in carrying forward various scheduled tournaments and tours.

Ranatunga told Pawar that SLC was even prepared to send its team for charity matches for the Mumbai terror victims and their families.