International Cricket Council (ICC) investigation committee has recommended continuing with the results of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5.
The committee, formed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crowd trouble during February 26 Nepal-USA match in Kathmandu, rejected the Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) demands of their promotion to Division 4 in the ground of fairness.
According to the results of the inquiry published on Tuesday, no evidence was found to support Singapore claims.
The committee recommended that ICC should provide a written warning to Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) – the host of the event – stating that it is unacceptable and not in the best interest of cricket that the spectators at the venue could obtain and throw rubble in the field of play and that the additional safety measure was delays during the final a day after.
It also recommended that ICC should ask CAN to fix the boundary wall and that no international matches should take place at TU Cricket Ground until ICC inspection, scheduled for May 2010, confirms that reasonable repairs have been carried out to ensure safety.
The sanction has already been agreed by the Cricket Association of Nepal.
On February 26, during the USA’s run-chase of Nepal’s total of 162-9, the large crowd began to throw bottles and stones onto the pitch. When the players were taken off the field for their own safety the USA was 150-5 off 32 overs.
When the players returned 48 minutes later, as per the playing regulations the USA’s target was recalculated (according to the Duckworth-Lewis Method) to 157 off 46 overs. The USA went on to win the match and finished, with Nepal and Singapore, on eight points.
The final order was determined by net run-rate (NRR) with USA finishing top of the table and Nepal second, just 0.004 above Singapore (had USA finished the match two balls earlier, Singapore would have better run-rate). USA and Nepal were duly promoted to Pepsi World League Division 4.
SCA had immediately filed a protest against the outcome and ICC established an internal enquiry conducted by David Richardson (ICC General Manager – Cricket), David Becker (ICC Head of Legal) and Ravi Sawani (General Manager – Anti Corruption and Security Unit).
The inquiry made recommendations that the proposed Mandatory Safety Standards being introduced by the ICC Security Task Force considers including sanctions against the Home Board when the home crowd interrupts a match or a home crowd interrupts a match such that the home team benefits.
ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I am grateful to the inquiry panel for the thorough investigation conducted and it is reassuring to note that the correct processes and playing rules were applied by the event technical committee and match officials.
“It is a most unfortunate outcome for Singapore and there was a suggestion that they should be promoted alongside the USA and Nepal,” said Lorgat.
“While everyone agrees that this was a regrettable incident and one which we do not want to see repeated, there is no justifiable basis to promote Singapore and such temptation would create a dangerous precedent to the integrity of competition and the playing regulations.”
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