LONDON: Modified it may be but England’s one-day captain Alastair Cook is glad that the Decision Review System would be in place for his side’s series against India next month after being made mandatory in all Tests and ODIs by the ICC. “I believe DRS helps get more right decisions, which is the most important thing,” Cook said ahead of the first ODI against Sri Lanka at The Oval. “What we need is players getting the right decisions, whether they are in or out, and that is the end of the matter. I think technology to get those decisions right is the best way forward and we need as much available as we can to get the right decisions,” he explained. The modified version, which was unanimously approved by the ICC’s chief executives’ committee on the second day of its annual conference, would have Hot-Spot technology but not the Hawk Eye ball-tracker, which means that the LBW decisions would not be within the purview of the DRS. (PTI)
‘BCCI playing politics with Pak’
KARACHI: Former International Cricket Council (ICC) president Ehsan Mani has accused the Indian cricket board officials of using their financial clout to play politics with Pakistan. “India has become cricket’s biggest commercial market in the last 15 years and unfortunately their present board is using this financial clout to play politics, particularly with Pakistan,” Mani said. Mani said that Pakistan losing the 2011 World Cup rights, the forced exclusion of Pakistani players from the IPL and Champions League and the continued refusal of the Indian cricket board ( BCCI) to even play Pakistan at neutral venues, were some of the evident examples of India playing politics with Pakistan. “The present Indian board has isolated Pakistan in international cricket,” alleged Mani. He also pointed out that the move by the ICC to end the rotational policy system to nominate the president of the ICC, was because of India’s influence.”The Indians are behind this move because they don’t want a Pakistani heading the ICC,” claimed Mani.. (PTI)