44 Friday Sports Friday, April 27, 2018 ICC asks panel to suggest harsher punishment for ball-tampering Governing body reviewing current code of conduct

KOLKATA: The International Council by former India , will re- (ICC) has asked an internal panel to suggest view the current ICC code of conduct and rec- harsher punishment for ball-tampering and ommend suitable punishments for rogue other misbehaviour by players in its bid to es- behaviour. tablish a “culture of respect”, chief executive “We’ve got the spirit of cricket in the laws Dave Richardson said yesterday. but we need to define it in the modern day and The game’s image was sullied in Cape Town age,” Richardson, a former South Africa player, last month when Australia batsman Cameron said. “Both the CEC (Chief Executives’s Com- Bancroft was caught on camera tampering with mittee) and the board were very supportive of the ball during the third test of the ill-tempered trying to develop a culture of respect across the series against South Africa. game, both on the field and off the field.” Bancroft, then captain Steve Smith and “Hopefully through these actions of review- opener David Warner, ing the code of conduct were promptly sent and developing a culture home and handed hefty of respect... we will bans by Cricket Aus- achieve that goal.” Bor- KOLKATA: International Cricket Council chief executive Dave Richardson addresses a press tralia. Addressing a We want rowing soccer’s red and conference in Kolkata yesterday. Cricket’s world body said it wants tough new sanctions news conference after yellow cards and hand- against ball-tampering in place within months as it struggles with fallout from the cheating an ICC board meeting, penalties ing out instant punish- scandal involving top Australian players. — AFP Richardson said the ment would be punishments under its in place considered, though code of conduct for Richardson was scepti- status to all 20-overs matches between its to Paris. We’ll continue to talk with LA in due such misbehaviour were cal about the idea of members. Richardson said it could prove a course, and hopefully by 2028 we will have inadequate. using cards. “Whether we introduce red or yel- major step towards cricket’s Olympic inclusion cricket in the Olympics.” “We want to move towards stricter and low cards, we’d leave it to the committee. I’m not at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles. The governing body approved a new Fu- heavier sanction for ball-tampering and all other convinced that it would as easy to implement as “Assuming that we get all of cricket united ture Tours Programme for the 2019-23 cycle, offences that are indicative of a lack of respect it is in other sports.” in the desire to be part of the Olympics, we will which replaces the 2021 Champions Trophy for your opponent, for the game, for the umpire, have a very good chance of persuading the IOC with a World Twenty20, less than a year for fans, for the media etc,” he told reporters. OLYMPIC AMBITION (International Olympic Committee) that cricket after Australia hosts the 2020 edition of the “We want penalties in place which act as The quarterly ICC meeting acknowledged can add value to Olympics. event. Richardson said was not ideal but that proper deterrent. Fines are not proving to be Twenty20 cricket as the vehicle to globalise the “Already we’ve missed the boat for applying there was no other window in the crammed the answer.” ICC’s Cricket Committee, chaired English game, deciding to grant international to the IOC through the front door, we can’t go calendar. — Reuters

reporters on Wednesday. “The colour, soil. “It’s a little bit early to get too con- Arthur eager the passion, the excitement for our local troversial,” said a smiling Arthur when people to see cricket there was amazing asked if Pakistan could could exploit the and for our players to play in front of “weakness” of an England top-order for Pakistan to their fans and families and just play at featuring captain . Champions Trophy to home was amazing. “I saw Dawid Malan play exception- resume full “We’ve had a couple of those now- ally well in Perth...we know Root is be replaced with world the World XI, Sri Lanka and now the world-class, (Jonny) Bairstow is world- West Indies,” he added. “They were class, they are a really good side.” home schedule great occasions so let’s hope that T20 tournament opens the door for a lot more cricket in ‘NUMBER ONE AMIR’ Pakistan.” Pakistan, described by Arthur as a KOLKATA: The International Kolkata. The next Champions CANTERBURY: Nine years on from the Arthur, a former head coach of both “young team, trying to resurrect our Cricket Council said yesterday Trophy “will be turned into a armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus his native South Africa and Australia, Test side” following the retirements of it will kill off the Champions world T20 and that fits in with in Lahore, Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur was speaking at Canterbury, where Pak- Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, will Trophy tournament and replace our strategy to use T20 as a way says he hopes “we’re really close” to the istan begin their tour of Britain and Ire- look to left-arm paceman Mohammad it with a world T20 champi- of growing the game,” Richard- world’s leading teams touring there land with a four-day warm-up match Amir to lead their attack. onship that will be held every son added. It means there will again. International cricket in Pakistan against Kent starting tomorrow. Amir, whose career was almost two years. be a World T20 in Australia in was effectively suspended for several Arthur’s first Test series in charge of ended by a jail term and suspension for The death-knell for the 50- 2020 and another the following years after the 2009 attack. Pakistan ended in an impressive 2-2 ‘spot-fixing’ during the 2010 Lord’s Test, over Champions Trophy is the year. But Richardson said after Zimbabwe, however, played several draw in England in 2016. He then over- has been a key man for Pakistan since latest stage of efforts to use 20 2021 the World T20 would be limited-overs fixtures in Pakistan three saw Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy making his international return in 2016. over cricket in a new campaign held every two years “to provide years ago. Pakistan have subsequently triumph, which culminated with a stun- The 26-year-old, a proven swing bowler to get wider recognition and a more teams with more opportu- welcomed a World XI and last year ning win over arch-rivals India in the in English conditions, had his entry to potential Olympic place. nities to play”. played a against final of the one-day international tour- the UK delayed by visa problems but “The T20 format we always The 50-over World Cup Sri Lanka in Lahore, while earlier this nament at in London. Amir was expected to join the rest of the knew was the vehicle for grow- will remain a four yearly event. month they completed a 3-0 at home to Pakistan, after providing the opposi- squad later. “He’s our number one ing the game and transforming It is in England next year and the West Indies, the World Twenty20 tion for Ireland’s inaugural Test, face bowler, we back him in tough situa- the game from being a sport India in 2023. Richardson said champions. England in a two-match series. England tions,” said Arthur. played by a few countries to a cricket still holds out hope of But has yet to resume in will come into that campaign following “We need him to get the ball swing- truly global sport,” ICC chief getting an Olympic place by Pakistan, with the United Arab Emirates Test series defeats in both Australia and ing, we need him to get his length executive Dave Richardson said the time of the 2028 Los Ange- remaining their ‘home away from home’. New Zealand, but Arthur expects them slightly fuller, and if he gets that he’s after the world body met in les Games. — AFP “I hope we’re really close,” Arthur told to prove far more threatening on home going to ask a lot of questions.” — AFP