The ICC on Monday sought an explanation from the BCCI and may take about a month to decide on the "appropriate sanction" on Delhi cricket authorities for the pitch fiasco in Ferozeshah Kotla that led to the abandonment of the fifth and final cricket one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka on Sunday .
"If yesterday's incident in Delhi warrants sanction, we would abide by that (recommendation of the ICC officals concerned)," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat told a press conference in New Delhi.
Replying to a volley of questions on the pitch episode that has left the BCCI and DDCA hugely embarassed, he said he would not like to pre-empt or pre-judge the issue since there was a well-documented and transparent process that has been initiated.
He indicated that it might take a month for the process to complete and it would be gone into whether the Delhi pitch came under "poor" or "unfit" category. The latter category would invite a stiffer penalty.
Lorgat said the ICC has written to the BCCI today and they would be given 14 days time to respond. He refused to discuss the nature of punishment for the pitch fiasco.
"It is very unfortunate and befitting an explanation of the process. I'm not going to speculate on the outcome," he said.
Lorgat dismissed reports that the ICC had already sent a report on the unsuitability of Kotla pitch and also refused to reply to speculation that Kotla may lose the 2011 World Cup matches.
"I haven't seen anything and I don't want to interfere in the process. We just have to be patient and let the process take its course.
"(Previous ICC report) is a routine venue assessment that we do for the World Cup. That's what we were doing-- the World Cup venue inspection -- and that is not related to this particular match. We were just preparing for the World Cup.
Asked if there were early warning signals on the unsuitability of Kotla pitch, Lorgat said "that is a matter for the DDCA and the BCCI. This match is hosted by the BCCI. Too early to make any judgements. Too early to conclude. You must allow the process to take its course."
Explaining the process of dealing with the match fiasco, he said the BCCI has 14 days to respond to ICC notice and thereafter the chief match referee who is Ranjan Madugalle plus David Richardson who is head of cricket operations will determine what an appropriate sanction is.
"If you read the guidelines that we have established, if a pitch is deemed unfit, it's a minimum 12 and 24 months. If a pitch is deemed poor, then there is a lesser sanction. So before we go to sanctions we have to understand whether the pitch will be regarded as poor or unfit," he said.
On the difference between poor and unfit pitch, he said "It's there in the guidelines. Look, at the end of the day it's a subjective assessment between the Match Referee, the Chief Match Referee plus Richardson and they would have to determine what it is and it would be wrong for me to pre-empt.
He said perhaps depending on practical circumstances on the part of people involved, it would take another 10 to 14 days and in all about a month.
"But I can't guarantee you that. Wholly inappropriate to say anything more on what is my view. There is a process in place and we must allow it take to its course.
He said once the ICC receives the BCCI response, Madugalle and Richardson would review the report and determine appropriate action. "If it warrants sanction, they would determine what would be the appropriate sanction."
The ICC Chief Executive said after the Antigua incident in which a match was called off after just nine balls, he said the ICC had toughened its stand on this issue. On pitches in India, he did not agree with the view that they were sub-standard.
"It's a very general statement to say that pitches in India are sub-standard and my answer to that is 'No'. Yesterday was a bad example but generally speaking Indian has got quality pitches." PTI
