First Mackay match abandoned due to wet outfield

Match abandoned
ScorecardThe first of the quadrangular series matches at Harrup Park in Mackay, between Australia A and the National Performance Squad, was abandoned without a ball bowled due to a “wet and unsafe” outfield. Cricket Australia’s website reported that despite “clear and sunny weather”, match referee Steve Bernard decided against play after inspecting the ground on Wednesday morning.This was the first of eight games scheduled at Harrup Park. Following the league stage, the ground is scheduled to host the final of the series, which also includes South Africa A and India A. The two overseas teams are set to play at the venue on Thursday, but the CA site said it remained unclear as of now whether that match would go ahead.The first six games of the series were played at the Tony Ireland Stadium in Townsville, following which India A sat atop the table with nine points from three games. Following the abandonment, the National Performance Squad moved to the top of the points table, with 10 points from four games.The abandonment came in a week when two Test matches were affected by damp outfields, with play not happening over several days in Durban and Trinidad despite the sun shining.

BCCI misses first Lodha deadline

The BCCI has not come to a decision with regard to implementing the recommendations of the Lodha report at its special general meeting in Mumbai on Friday. The board will reconvene again on Saturday to discuss the issue, effectively meaning that it has missed the deadline of September 30 set by the Lodha Committee for the implementation of the first stage of recommendations that were passed by the Supreme Court order on July 18.ESPNcricinfo learned that the SGM was adjourned because several members did not have the necessary authorisation from their state associations to attend the meeting, which came to a close within a few minutes of its commencement. IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said: “The authorisation letters of the representatives from various state associations have not reached, so they have been given one day’s time to get the letters from their respective state associations.”When asked if it was a stalling tactic, a southern state association official said the BCCI was merely looking to get the technicalities right. “In the wake of what has been happening, it’s important to get everything in order. We don’t want a situation where there are complaints on technical grounds.”It is unclear whether the BCCI could be found in contempt of court for missing the deadline. On Wednesday, RM Lodha, the chairman of the committee, had said the matter of contempt of court was for the Supreme Court to decide.

What the BCCI needed to do by September 30

  • Adopt amended BCCI MoA, and Rules and Regulations

  • Amend constitutions of state associations

  • Establish 15-day gap between national calendar and IPL

  • Amend anti-corruption and related codes of IPL

  • -Amend player-agent registration norms

  • Decide order of the rotational vote in states with more than one association

  • Decide on fund disbursements among members

  • Establish transparency of tenders

  • Make Pondicherry an Associate member

  • Set in motion creation of players’ association

The agenda for Friday’s SGM, the BCCI had said, was to “consider directions of Justice (Retd) Lodha Committee in connection with the formal adoption of the new Memorandum of Association and Rules for the BCCI”.On Wednesday the Lodha Committee had submitted a status report, pertaining to the BCCI implementing the recommendations, to the Supreme Court in which it said the board was impeding the process and called for the top BCCI officials to be “superseded” by the court.The Lodha Committee had asked the BCCI and its state associations to adopt the new Memorandum of Association and Rules by September 30. It had also sent the BCCI two sets of timelines with various deadlines to implement the recommendations within the six-month time frame set by the court – the last of the reforms are to be implemented by December 30. In the status report RM Lodha, the chairman of the committee, said the BCCI had not yet complied with seven timelines, and that it was unlikely the board would do so before the September 30 deadline.At a hearing following the submission of the status report, the court had told the BCCI that it had one week to respond. “BCCI thinks it is law unto itself,” Chief Justice of India TS Thakur was quoted as saying by the . “We know how to get our orders implemented. BCCI thinks it is the lord. You better fall in line or we will make you fall in line. The conduct of the BCCI is in poor taste.”The BCCI had also filed a fresh application in the Supreme Court, pleading for the court’s July 18 order to be “suspended” until it heard the board’s review and curative petitions against the mandatory implementation of most of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. The board had filed a review petition last month against the Supreme Court’s order directing it to implement most of the recommendations. In the petition, the BCCI called the court order “unreasoned” and asked for the recusal of chief justice Thakur from its hearing. However, the petition has been lying “in defect” because the court raised technical objections to the petition and asked the BCCI to repair them.The Lodha Committee – comprising Lodha and retired Supreme Court judges Ashok Bhan and R Raveendran – was formed in January 2015 to determine appropriate punishments for some of the officials involved in the 2013 IPL corruption scandal, and also to propose changes to streamline the BCCI, reform its functioning, prevent sporting fraud and conflict of interest.

NSW Women go fully professional

New South Wales cricketers will be the first Australian female domestic athletes to go fully professional, via a landmark deal that will push the wages of some players beyond six figures.Cricket NSW unveiled a two-season deal with the sponsor LendLease that will ensure all members of the Breakers squad earn at least a minimum wage of A$35,000 a year. Combined with WBBL and Southern Stars payments, this will mean the likes of Ellyse Perry will now draw in a cricket salary in excess of $100,000.The announcement arrived ahead of negotiations for a new MOU between Australia’s cricketers and Cricket Australia, with women’s pay and conditions set to be a key battleground. NSW officials hope the LendLease underwrite will be a trendsetter for players around the nation.”This truly is a landmark moment,” NSW chief executive Andrew Jones said. “Cricket NSW has always been a leader in women’s sport and today we are proud to announce another first. Every member of the Lendlease Breakers squad now has the opportunity to pursue a professional sporting career.”I am confident that every state in Australia will now follow the lead of Cricket NSW by giving their female cricketers the opportunity to earn a living wage.”Cricket NSW is committed to growing and professionalising women’s cricket by attracting and retaining the best athletes, providing world-class facilities, coaching and support staff, and offering all of our athletes a professional pathway.”While the deal has been in the works for quite some time, it has grown in pertinence through recent advances in playing and payment opportunities for women in other sports such as AFL and netball. The new deal will again place cricket in the vanguard of women’s sport.As the young Breakers batsman Ashleigh Gardner put it: “Cricket has always been my passion. However, I never really thought that I would be able to play professionally. In the back of my mind I was always having to consider how I needed to juggle school work, studies, one day having a job and a family, with my training and matches.”To know now that I don’t need to worry about juggling all of this at once, and can really commit to my training and play professionally is incredible.”

England's youngsters put absentees on notice

England’s inexperienced one-day side has been lauded for overcoming a ‘daunting’ experience to halt Bangladesh’s run of six home series win in a row.Having already been without Alex Hales, Joe Root and Eoin Morgan from their first-choice batting order, Jason Roy was ruled out of the deciding match in Chittagong. However, stepping seamlessly into the breach, Sam Billings struck his maiden ODI fifty while Ben Duckett made his second in his debut series.England also had to respond to the heated conclusion to the second match in Mirpur where Jos Buttler reacted angrily to Bangladesh’s celebrations of his wicket before Ben Stokes and Tamim Iqbal confronted each other during the post-match handshakes. Alongside the unprecedented security which has accompanied the team’s every move, and the partisan home support, there has been plenty for the squad to deal with.”For some of us who have been around for a little while it’s still been quite an interesting, daunting trip,” Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, said. “There’s been a lot around this tour – whether we should come or not come, whether the players would come. You get here and you see the guns and SWAT team. That’s quite a lot for young blokes to take on board. The ones who have come will go away with a series win in a spicy series, but for a lot of young blokes it’s been a good learning experience too.”On field there are huge positives and, in the end, it is probably a good thing that some didn’t come. When you think about it, last night four of the top six who don’t regularly play chased down a very tricky score. We felt we were very capable of getting it, but it did take some decent batting to get there. To win, but win it with a few different players, as well as the off-field experience, that can only be good.”Farbrace said that Morgan will “definitely” captain the one-day side in India next January, but he praised the way that Buttler had dealt with the various pressures of the leadership experience – not least the lessons learnt from his reaction in Mirpur which led to a rap on the knuckles from the ICC but strong support from former England captains Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain.”Morgs is the leader, but it’s been great that Jos has had the experience,” Farbrace said. “He will definitely be captain in India. There can’t be any way around it. He deserves it. His team is continually improving, and he has definitely been the leader and allowed so many guys to play that way.”On and off the field, we have seen Jos has more to him than others thought. He doesn’t say a great deal, but when he does, people listen. The cricket challenge is only one side. He has been very impressive with everything he dealt with, even the skirmishes in that second game, the way he dealt with that was very good. It was a great learning experience for him.”The emotional side of it he has found quite tough, and selection is tough too. You go from being one of the lads with mates in the team, to knocking on their door and saying you’re not playing. I don’t think you could get a tougher series to start off with as captain, because there has been as much said about the off-the-field stuff as on the field.”Stokes was named Man of the Series after sealing the decisive chase with a calm, unbeaten 47 to follow his maiden ODI century in the second match. He also made a telling intervention in the field during the opening game when he pulled the team together as the match was slipping away. His maturing role with the bat – he has averaged 49.00 this year in ODIs – was vital in a young batting order.”Stokes is a leader, wherever he goes, people want to go with him.” Farbrace said. “That’s why he can get involved in some spats. We saw last night, he was not getting out and losing that game. He was determined to see it home. The two innings here, are two of his best for England in white-ball cricket. The 100 was about as mature as I’ve seen him play.”

Du Plessis ton leads South Africa fightback


Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMitchell Starc struck the first blow•Getty Images

His innings was mint, his declaration sweet. He took the shine off all of Australia’s fine bowling and silenced the lollygagging Australian fans. There, the terrible puns are out of the way early. Now for the substance, and on the first day – and night – at Adelaide Oval, everything Faf du Plessis did was of substance. From the moment he walked to the crease, things were against him. The pink ball was swinging, the Australians were on top, the score was 3 for 44. And du Plessis walked out to the sound of a booing crowd.But if the spectators remembered du Plessis’ previous visit to the ground, when he blockaded for 376 balls on debut to salvage an unlikely draw, they would have known he is a hard man to perturb. And with his ball-tampering conviction behind him, du Plessis had but one focus: leading his team back into this match. When he ran off late in the evening at 9 for 259, a hundred to his name and an aggressive declaration forcing Australia’s openers to bat for an awkward period under lights, he had done so.By Test standards it was an exceptionally early declaration, coming after only 76 overs of the first innings of the match. But perhaps he had noted that David Warner had been off the field being treated for a shoulder injury, and thus a declaration would mean Warner was prevented from opening the innings. In any case, although the debutant No.11 Tabraiz Shamsi had fun swinging the bat, there seemed little to be gained from batting on.If South Africa’s bowlers did not strike, they at leasted tested Australia’s openers. It took 38 balls for Australia to find any runs off the bat, a single through midwicket from Usman Khawaja, sent out to open because Warner could not. Next ball, the debutant Matt Renshaw got off the mark in Tests with a boundary tucked off his hip from his 19th delivery. By stumps, Australia were 0 for 14, with Renshaw on 8 and Khawaja on 3. But on day two, they would have to get set once again.And if day one proved anything, it was that getting set against the swinging and seaming pink ball was a challenge. In the third over of the match, Stephen Cook was lbw to Mitchell Starc for 4, only to be reprieved because it was a no-ball. But Dean Elgar, Hashim Amla and JP Duminy had no such luck as they each fell with scores of 5, all to edges behind the wicket. In fact, every wicket until the eighth fell to catches behind the wicket.Elgar edged a swinging ball from Starc and was snapped up at third slip by Usman Khawaja, Amla nicked Hazlewood and was caught by Renshaw low to his right at first slip, and Duminy gave Matthew Wade his first Test catch in more than three years when he inside-edged behind off Hazlewood. South Africa were 3 for 44, and du Plessis was walking to the crease. His team needed something special, and du Plessis duly delivered an innings of remarkable character.Faf du Plessis embraces Kagiso Rabada after bringing up his hundred•Getty Images

When given width outside off he drove extremely well, but he also picked off runs through midwicket when the bowlers strayed onto his pads. He struck 17 boundaries, more than half of them off Starc. He brought up his fifty from 92 deliveries, and his century from 147. By that stage he had the No.10 for company, wickets having fallen regularly throughout the innings. They just weren’t falling at his end. When he declared, he had 118 off 164 balls.Du Plessis was the anchor but needed help along the way. First it came in a 51-run stand with Cook, who used his early reprieve to reach his highest score of the tour. Cook went to the tea break on 40 but could not add to his score upon the resumption, and edged Starc to Steven Smith at second slip. It left South Africa at 4 for 95, with two wickets each to Starc and Hazlewood, who were the most dangerous of the bowlers.Jackson Bird, playing his first Test since the tour of New Zealand in February, struggled to find his rhythm early and leaked runs, but improved after tea and was rewarded when Temba Bavuma edged him behind for 8. Quinton de Kock struck a brisk 24 before edging Hazlewood behind and it was the first time on this trip that de Kock had failed to reach fifty in any innings – Test or tour match – and it ended his run of five consecutive Test scores of fifty or more.Hazlewood snared his fourth wicket just before dinner when Vernon Philander was given out caught behind for 4, only to ask confidently for a review as the ball had brushed his leg on the way through to Wade. However, the thinnest imaginable spike on Real-Time Snicko suggested there might have been a faint inside edge before the ball struck Philander, and third umpire Aleem Dar upheld the on-field decision.Still Australia could not run through the tail. Kyle Abbott contributed 17 from 50 balls and put on 54 with du Plessis for the eighth wicket – the highest partnership of the innings – before he was lbw to Bird. The final wicket came when Kagiso Rabada dragged his back foot just outside his crease off Nathan Lyon and was stumped by Matthew Wade, giving Lyon his first wicket since the first innings of the Perth Test, and ending his 660-ball drought.And yet still South Africa fought. Shamsi, on debut and with a first-class average of 8.18, struck an unbeaten 18 in a 39-run stand before his partner, du Plessis, called an end to the innings. The result was a Test match poised in a fascinating position at stumps on day one. And all because of du Plessis, who had made 118 out of 259 and then wrong-footed Australia with his declaration. If he has had a week to forget, at least this was a day to remember.

Thisara Perera and Tymal Mills sign with BBL

Sri Lanka allrounder Thisara Perera and England pacer Tymal Mills are the latest additions to the Big Bash League 2016-17, coming in for the Melbourne Renegades and the Brisbane Heat respectively. While Thisara replaces West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo, Mills was brought in for West Indies legspinner Samuel Badree.Thisara brings with him the vast experience of 114 ODIs and 54 T20 internationals, something the Renegades’ coach Andrew McDonald is happy to have his team tap into. “It has obviously been a quick turnaround following Dwayne’s injury but we’re happy we’ve been able to secure someone of Thisara’s experience for the remainder of the BBL,” he said, according to the Renegades site. “I’m looking forward to having him in the group and showing what he can do.”Mills has played one T20I, against Sri Lanka in July 2016. He played the Bangladesh Premier League in November, and then went to New Zealand’s domestic T20 tournament, the Super Smash. He is set to play England’s T20s against India, which begin on January 26.”With Sam Badree and Josh Lalor both out injured at the moment, the opportunity to provide additional variety to the attack was very attractive,” the Heat coach Daniel Vettori said of Mills’ selection, according to the Cricket Australia site. “Tymal has been going well for Auckland so he is match-ready. We’re looking forward to having him join us and prepare for the matches ahead at the Gabba and the MCG where the conditions should suit him.”Bravo was ruled out last week after doing damage his left hamstring, while fielding against the Perth Scorchers, an injury for which he requires surgery. Badree too injured his hamstring, on January 3 against the Sydney Sixes, and scans subsequently ruled him out.

Was pleasing to discover extra level in Pune – Smith

A man possessed. Eyes glazed, moving in a trance, reaching the zen of batting enlightenment, if you will.On a crumbling pitch against the game’s best bowlers of spin, Steven Smith went to another level. Team-mates had never seen him quite like this. Sure, he’d made bigger scores, played innings with less chances, and bossed bowling attacks. But the focus, intensity and determination of Smith’s Pune century was something he’s rarely achieved. And, with a confidence that should sound a warning to India, he believes he can go there again.”I was, I guess, what they call ‘in the zone’ out there,” said Smith. “I was doing things that I probably haven’t done before. My eyes were sort of spinning and I was in a bit of a trance – I think I’ve been there a couple of times in that kind of mindset.”For me it was just such an important period of the game and I knew if we could get to 300 or over that, we’d be a real good chance to win. That afternoon I was very determined and focused on the job at hand to try and get as many as we could, and I guess if it calls for it again, hopefully, I can bring that next level out, and next gear out. It was pleasing to know I had that level in me.”It’s not the first time Smith has found another level in his evolution as a batsman. His overall batting average after 51 Tests of 60.34 is impressive enough but doesn’t reflect the way he successfully changed his technique in the Perth Test of the 2013-14 Ashes, and dramatically improved as a result.Pre-WACA, Smith averaged a modest 33.00, but heading into the third Test he made a key change in adopting his back-and-across trigger movement.It triggered plenty of runs. From the start of that Test, in which he made 111, he has averaged 72.55. Now that IS impressive.But Smith knows he and his teammates must aim much higher in batting-friendly Bangalore if they are to go two-nil up in the series. England passed 400 three times in their first innings in the five Tests they played here recently, posting 537 in the opening Test at Rajkot. Even that could only secure them a draw.”England batted reasonably well and got 400 pretty consistently but that wasn’t good enough,” said Smith. “You had to bat for longer and get your 550, 600 to be in the game. That’s what India did. That’s what we were expecting when we first came over here but that first wicket wasn’t one where you needed to score that many runs, so we had to reassess our plans, we thought 250 was a very good score.”That was that wicket. Now we have to sum it up again with this wicket. I think this one is more likely going to be one where we are going to have to go really big, but it could be totally different, it could play totally different to what we think at the moment. It’s about being able to sum it up and being adaptable and being able to communicate straight away what we think the wicket is like.”There has been a huge amount of scrutiny on the pitch preparation at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, sparked in part by the widespread criticism of the Pune surface, rated as “poor” by the match referee, Chris Broad.But for all the talk of cloak and dagger tactics and mystery substances, many of those who are accustomed to conditions here – including Virat Kohli – have described it as a typical Bangalore wicket. The square, which has been mowed in an unusual chequerboard pattern, is pristine and the wicket appears vastly different to what was offered at Pune.Smith doesn’t expect as much turn early in the match, something Australia’s batsmen coped with better than India in Pune, happy to play and miss at Ashwin and Jadeja balls that jagged too sharply to take an edge. For all the turn on offer it was often the straight delivery that took the wickets, and Smith believes that remains the danger ball for Australia.”I think it’s part of batting, you’ve got to be willing to sacrifice certain things and willing to get out certain ways,” said Smith. “In these conditions, I think that’s really important. We don’t want to get hit on the pads. That’s been an issue for a while with this group, where we’ve been getting hit on the pads. I think if we’re willing to edge it to the slips then we’ll live with that. We’re OK with that.”It’s hard to imagine Smith ever being “OK” with losing his wicket but even if he is out lbw, if Australia has a winning total on the board he probably won’t even mind.

Afridi ruled out of PSL final with finger injury

Peshawar Zalmi’s Shahid Afridi sustained a deep cut on his right index finger, which has ruled him out of Sunday’s Pakistan Super League final in Lahore. He picked up the injury while attempting a catch at cover off Kieron Pollard during the third playoff against Karachi Kings on Friday. The cut required stitches and he has been advised 10 days of rest.He left the field in 11th over of the chase and did not return to complete the two remaining overs in his quota of four. He had conceded 0-27 in two overs and scored nought, but his side went on qualify for the final beating Karachi by 24 runs.Afridi released a video message, announcing that he would not be able to play the final. He said: “After [the 2016] World T20, it was a big challenge for me to perform for my fans. They couldn’t see me performing [to the level] which they were expecting. So I hope you have enjoyed whatever I gave in PSL, because whatever the cricket left in me is for you only. My wish was to play the PSL final in Lahore but sorry, I wont be able to play because doctor gave me a 10-day rest order. It was my big wish that I could play in front of my own people in Lahore but sorry, not possible because of his this.”After a 28-ball 54 in the group stage of the PSL, Afridi had announced that he would not be playing international cricket anymore. In ten matches in this edition of the tournament, Afridi had scored 177 runs at 25.28 with a strike rate of 173.52, and taken two wickets and maintained an economy rate of 6.75.

Crane spins South to 3-0 series win


ScorecardDaniel Bell-Drummond’s 81 anchored South’s innings•Getty Images

Mason Crane produced a stunning spell of legspin to secure a 3-0 whitewash for the South in a rain-affected climax to the new North-South Series in Abu Dhabi.The North seemed on course for victory in a game restricted to 40 overs per side by rare desert rain, with Ben Duckett providing a flying start to their pursuit of a modest South total of 228 for 8, and Sam Hain and Liam Livingstone sharing a mature third-wicket stand of 67 to steer the North to 146 for 2.But Crane, the 20-year-old Hampshire legspinner who recently became the first overseas player to represent New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield since Imran Khan, then offered further evidence of his exciting potential by taking four wickets for one run in the space of 10 balls under the floodlights at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.Hain was bowled for 44 from 97 balls, Joe Clarke was also bowled for a golden duck, and Crane went close to a hat-trick as Jack Leaning’s edge fell short of second slip.Leaning was out in the next over, also bowled and bemused, and finally Crane claimed the key wicket of Livingstone, the Lancashire allrounder who excelled on the recent England Lions tour of Sri Lanka, and had just reached his first half century of the series.He was lured down the pitch and smartly stumped by Ben Foakes, and despite another battling innings from Tim Bresnan, Toby Roland-Jones and Tom Curran polished off the North tail.Other performances of note in the tightest contest of the series included 81 from Daniel Bell-Drummond, continuing the good List A form which has brought him a Lions century in Sri Lanka and 92 not out in the first North-South contest in Dubai.Roland-Jones underlined his allround value by thumping an unbeaten 43 from 24 balls to give the South important lower-order runs, while Mark Wood continued his encouraging comeback after ankle surgery by taking 2 for 38, and the North spinners Josh Poysden and Graeme White both impressed – Poysden taking 3 for 55, and White claiming James Vince and Bell-Drummond as classic slow-left-arm victims.The game was delayed by almost four hours by steady morning rain, and North captain Keaton Jennings chose to bowl when he won his third toss of the series.Both teams were forced to make one change, with Sam Northeast ruled out for the South after feeling a twinge in his hamstring when making a century in the second game in Dubai on Sunday, and Durham allrounder Paul Coughlin unavailable after suffering cramp in his hamstring during that game.The South also recalled Lewis Gregory in place of his Somerset team-mate Tim Groenewald, with Crane replacing Northeast, while the North brought back White in addition to Wood, with Nottinghamshire’s Harry Gurney dropping out.Wickets fell steadily on a tricky pitch, but Bell-Drummond again displayed patience and skill to hold things together before Roland-Jones provided those much-needed late runs.Duckett responded by whacking 37 from 17 balls with seven fours and a six, but Roland-Jones prevented him from inflicting any further damage, and Liam Dawson produced another tidy spell of left-arm spin before Crane’s match-winning burst.

BCB objects to chance of losing Full Membership

Bangladesh is opposed to any changes in the ICC constitution that compromise a board’s Full Membership, considering that status to be “irrevocable”. BCB president Nazmul Hassan made that position clear in an official response to the ICC’s proposed governance changes.While other boards also expressed reservations on aspects of the proposed membership clauses, Hassan’s objections are significant because he is part of the ICC’s working group that prepared the new constitution. The ICC hopes to sign off on the draft this week, having passed it in principle via a vote in February.In a letter to the ICC’s chief operating office Iain Higgins, Hassan said the BCB directors were against proposals that open the possibility of Full Members being relegated to Associate status, as well as those that give Associate and independent directors a vote at the Board room table.”After reviewing the draft, the Board’s stand is that Full Membership status of the ten current Test nations must not be compromised under any circumstances and should be made irrevocable,” Hassan wrote in his letter, which was seen by ESPNcricinfo.As a significant part of the proposed governance overhaul, ICC chairman Shashank Manohar’s working group looked at membership as a fluid concept and called for regular evaluation of Full Member status against a set of criteria. If a Full Member failed to fulfil certain requirements, it could be reclassified to Associate status.According to the BCB, such reclassification should apply only to the Associates – most likely Afghanistan and Ireland – who were given Full Member status on a “temporary” or “provisional” basis. “The new proposal should only be applicable for the current Associate Members when they become ‘Temporary / Provisional Full Member’ of the ICC. However, once a ‘Temporary / Provisional Full Member’ gains Full Member status, then that status should become irrevocable.”To retain Full Member status, a Full Member needs to win at least one match against another Full Member in an ICC event. Every Full Member also needs to register at least four wins against a minimum of two other Full Members in bilateral series. Both these criteria need to be satisfied every eight years.Hassan said that despite objecting to these criteria when the working group was forming the proposals, his views had not been incorporated.According to the BCB, reclassification should only apply to the Associates who gain entry into the Full member club•IDI/Getty Images

The ICC working group also proposed that evaluation of Full Member status should be carried out by a Membership Committee with autonomous powers, and that the ICC Board would have “limited” say in the process. This point was contested by the BCCI, which wants the ICC Board to be the solitary decision-maker on status.The BCB echoed the sentiment. “The Board of Directors of ICC must have full autonomy and final say on all membership issues with powers to re-examine all aspects of Member Committee’s recommendations.”Hassan also argued against a clause that linked the performance of the women’s team to Full Membership status, a concern the BCB shares with at least one other board. “Women’s cricket should not be a determining factor for Full Membership criteria as most countries are still in the process of structuring and developing the women’s game.”The BCB’s views, which Hassan had voiced earlier, include a retention of the existing voting process. In the proposed constitution, the ICC Board is to be expanded to 15 directors, including an independent female director and Associate directors with voting rights. The chairman has a veto vote in extraordinary circumstances.That is a radical departure from the existing system, where only the ten Full Members have voting rights. For special resolutions to be passed a 7-3 majority is needed, while for an ordinary resolution it is 6-4. However, under the new proposals the ICC has put all resolutions under one bundle: a 6-4 majority would be required to pass any resolution.The ICC working group was scheduled to meet on Monday in Dubai to discuss concerns and suggestions from Full Members and Associates on the draft constitution, which contains a new finance model and a fresh governance structure. Hassan’s concerns now have the potential to prevent the ICC Board from passing the new draft constitution.