The following statement is issued by the ICC on Friday 4 July at the conclusion of the ICC Board meeting in Dubai :
“The Zimbabwe delegation to ICC Annual Conference week is aware of the decision of the British government not to allow its bilateral series in England in 2009 to go ahead.
“Zimbabwe Cricket has also taken note that the British government is likely to refuse to
grant visas for the Zimbabwe cricket team to take part in the ICC World Twenty20 2009. Therefore, the Zimbabwe delegation has decided to recommend to its board that the team should withdraw from that event.“The delegation has undertaken to report back on the decision of its board to the ICC within one month.
“The delegation will report to its board that it will not suffer financially as a result of its non-participation in the ICC World Twenty20 2009.
“The Zimbabwe delegation has agreed to take this decision in the greater interest of world cricket and the ICC. This recommendation should be viewed as a one-off and will not be taken as a precedent.
“Outgoing ICC President Ray Mali has recommended that a sub-committee be set up, chaired by Dr Julian Hunte (West Indies) and including another ICC Board member Arjuna Ranatunga ( Sri Lanka ) and an official from the ICC (to be confirmed). The role of this sub-committee will be to advise the ICC Board on all matters relating to Zimbabwe cricket including its return to full participation in the international game. The specific terms of reference for the sub-committee will be finalised in due course.”
The statement follows discussions by the ICC Board spread over two days during annual conference week, held this year in Dubai .
The ICC Board consists of the Chairman or President from each of the 10 Full Members plus three Associate Member representatives. Also present at ICC Board meetings is the ICC President, who chairs proceedings, the ICC Chief Executive Officer and the ICC President-Elect.
Ray Mali ICC President
David Morgan OBE ICC President-Elect (officially took over as President from Mr Mali at ICC Annual Conference today)
David Richardson ICC acting Chief Executive Officer
Creagh O’Connor Australia
Major General Sina Ibn Jamali Bangladesh
Giles Clarke England
Sharad Pawar (Mr Shashank Manohar attended part of the meeting as an alternate)
India
Dr Justin Vaughan (alternate for Sir John Anderson KBE) New Zealand
Dr Nasim Ashraf Pakistan
Arjuna Ranatunga Sri Lanka
Norman Arendse South Africa
Dr Julian Hunte OBE West Indies
Peter Chingoka Zimbabwe
Associate Member Representatives
Neil Speight Bermuda
Samir Inamdar Kenya
Imran Khawaja Singapore
Mr Speight and Mr Khawaja replaced HRH Tunku Imran (retired, Malaysia ) and Mr Stanley Perlman ( Israel ), with the choices made at the Associate Members’ meeting on 1 July.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE