Zim gets Test status support

THE members of the Asian Cricket Council will meet in Dubai ahead of the ICC meeting later this month to discuss among other things the possibility of mobilising support for Zimbabwe to keep their Test status.

The board members namely Thilanga Sumathipala (Sri Lanka Cricket board), Shahryar Khan (Pakistan Cricket Board) and Nazmual Hasan Papon (Bangladesh Cricket Board) met earlier this month in Sri Lanka. According to highly placed sources in the BCCI, the Indian representatives were busy in the IPL and hence could not attend. “They all met and discussed (1) to oppose the formation of the Big Three (2) the revenue sharing system (supporting India to have its major share) from the ICC and (3) ensure that Zimbabwe does not lose Test status”. The president of Sri Lanka (Maithripala Sirisena) also hosted dinner for the invitees”, confirmed PCB source. Rahul Johri, the BCCI CEO is likely to have participated in the discussions via video link”, it is learnt here.

Zimbabwe Cricket president Tavengwa Mukuhlani, who abstained from voting in the last ICC meeting was not present at the meeting in Sri Lanka recently but is likely to have had made a trip to India where he, along with Thilanga Sumathipala, met the BCCI chief executive and Vikram Limaye in Mumbai and extended ZC’s support to BCCI on its fight against the ICC on revenue sharing system. Sumathipala, who is in Australia to attend the family wedding, didn’’t respond to the repeated call requests.