The President of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Mr Malcolm Gray Sunday said the proposal floated by Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf was a good one and urged India to reconsider the offer.

"What I think is that the proposal of the neutral venue is a good one. I think that the two Boards and the government should give it consideration. Naturally I would think, strongly suggest urge them, that the two Boards should do that and no politicians get involved," Gray said.

The ICC President was reacting to Indian Sports Minister Vikram Verma's statement in which he questioned how the Indian team could tour Pakistan when Islamabad was supporting terrorist activities in Kashmir.

The Indian Sports Minister was further quoted as telling Press Trust of India that India had nothing to do with Pakistan's return tour in 2004, "as we have not asked them to play in India. We are least bothered if their cricket team does not tour India. We are not going to welcome them."

Verma's strong reaction came a day after President Musharraf told Mr Malcolm Gray that if India agreed to play next year's series on a neutral territory, Pakistan would also play the 2004 series on a neutral venue.

"Well the position of the ICC is that sports should not be used for political ends. We believe that sports, particularly cricket, can be used to help the people of the nation come together. Sports, cricket in particular, is a great tool for people to see reason and to come together."

"We understand from briefings we are given that there are sporting contacts between Pakistan and India in all other sports. Pakistan Blind team is playing at Chennai at the moment. It is regrettable that at the national level it seems to be used for political ends", Gray said.

Asked if the Indian Sports Minister's statement was in bad taste? The ICC President said, "I am not an arbiter of tastes but I would say that India is due to come here in April 2003. It has been suggested that, may be the series could be played at a neutral venue. ICC allowed it last year that a series could be played at an independent venue so that may be this is the case where it could be held at an independent venue and as I understand, that it is also mentioned by General Musharraf that if that is the case Pakistan's return trip should also be played at a neutral venue as Pakistan is due in India in 2004 under the ICC Programme."

"The ICC can only use its powers of persuasion; ultimately the ICC doesn't have any legal or political powers and it is a government that determines foreign policies", he said when asked if he would play down Verma's statement and would prefer to deal with the BCCI who were awaiting government clearance.

"The ICC recognizes that. However, what we would say to the governments, not only to India but to all governments around the world, that cricket can be a great unifier and that the people of a nation should not be denied the great pleasures of the sport".

Asked if India was dictating terms to the ICC, Gray said: "We don't feel threatened, all we could do is do our job properly and professionally and rationally and hope that other people would approach their tasks in a similar manner".

Commenting on ICC's decision to acquire the services of former South African President Mr Nelson Mandela to act as mediator between Pakistan and Indian governments, Gray said: "It was decided in March this year in the ICC Board meeting that the ICC should have a campaign to try and influence normalization of cricket relations but unfortunately we have not been able to make any progress on that matter".

Asked if the ICC needed more teeth to deal with such matters like like FIFA? The ICC President said: "That's a very deep question. You got to look at the organization of the sport historically. Historically, cricket was organized on a federal system and in other words, the powers resided in the country and not in the central body whereas in other sports, power resided in the central body and goes downward. Cricket is organsied bottom up. I believe for the sake of cricket in future, and I have been saying that for sometime, ultimately some of that power must be ceded to the ICC, the central body, if cricket is to survive and compete against the other sports. Now by giving the powers by a man to a body is a difficult thing to do but ultimately that really has to happen. I think the countries have approached that in a more mature way and today, the ICC does have a far greater role in the sport than it used to have".

Asked if the matter would be referred to the ICC Dispute Committee if India refuses to tour Pakistan next year? Gray said: "That needs to be resolved in the future in that, first it would be up to Pakistan to lodge a complaint so its not for me to comment whether it should happen or not".

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said: "If the series is played at a neutral venue, then the 2004 series should also be played at a neutral venue. Now the ball is in ICC's court".

"The cross border terrorism allegation has been leveled by a politician that can only be answered by a politician. I am not a politician and don't deal with politicians. The PCB only deals with the BCCI."

Samiul Hasan
GM – Media
December 8, 2002

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