India to drop banned Sehwag from England Test, saving series

Calcutta, November 30: India has agreed to drop banned batsman Virender Sehwag from the first Test against England, resolving a dispute which had threatened England's three-Test tour of India, an official said Friday.

India struck the deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) to end the crisis, India's Board of Control for Cricket chief Jagmohan Dalmiya said.

The Test is due to start in Mohali on Monday.

Earlier this month Sehwag was given a one-match ban by English match referee Mike Denness for excessive appealing following the second Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

Indian authorities maintain the 23-year-old middle order batsman served his ban during the unofficial third Test in South Africa, a match stripped of Test status by the ICC after the teams went ahead without Denness.

But the ICC has insisted Sehwag, who India picked in their 14-man squad for Monday's first Test against England at Mohali on Monday, must miss an official Test.

England had made it clear they would not play in an unofficial Test, which is what the match would have become were Sehwag to be included in India's XI.

An England withdrawal would have placed the entire three Test series in jeopardy and posed questions on the fate of five one-day international matches India and England are scheduled to play.

Meanwhile Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, told BBC World television the ICC would put in place a referee's commission.

"We will ask the referee's commission to look into the Test match in Port Elizabeth and advise the ICC executive board to see if Denness acted in the correct procedure in his conduct." He added the new commission would compromise two former eminent players.

"I'm pleased we have resolved this matter," Speed continued. "There are some important principles involved in this matter. This was a massive collision which put the substance and structure of world cricket at risk."

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) expressed their delight that an agreement had been reached.

Lord MacLaurin, ECB Chairman, said, "I am delighted to hear this news. The decision is a victory for common sense and I congratulate both the ICC and BCCI on reaching an agreement. As we have made clear, the ECB has always been fully supportive of the ICC's position throughout this process.

"The decision will strengthen the ICC's authority and integrity as the world governing body for cricket, but the family of cricket is the real winner."

Tim Lamb, ECB Chief Executive, said, "This is good news for the millions of cricket followers worldwide and England's supporters.

"There is huge expectation about the Series and I am delighted that the tour can now proceed as planned, and that the England team can continue their preparations for the first Test in Mohali without any further distractions."