ICC Chief Executives' Committee meets in Johannesburg this week

Abandoned Antigua Test match, Future Tours Programme, promotion of Test cricket and ICC Anti-Doping Code among items to be discussedMedia opportunity at conclusion of the meeting, details to be confirmed in due course

The ICC Chief Executives’ Committee (CEC) will convene in Johannesburg on Tuesday for one of its four meetings per year.

The two-day gathering, to be held at the Sandton Sun Hotel on 24 and 25 February (the latter date if needed), will make decisions on a range of matters relating to the playing of cricket as well as recommendations on the business of cricket for consideration by the ICC Board.

It will also look to build upon the strategy workshop it held at its previous meeting, last December in Cape Town.

That session was the start of a process to establish a number of key aims, objectives and challenges that will then feed into other decision-making forums including the ICC Board. This process is designed to help all the Members, as well as the ICC itself, to shape long-term thinking and plans for international cricket in a cohesive and mutually beneficial way.

It is envisaged that the CEC and the ICC Board will hold a joint session in June, during the ICC’s annual conference week, to further this process.

There will be a media opportunity at the conclusion of business, also at the Sandton Sun Hotel, and details of the timing and exact location of that opportunity will be announced in due course.If you intend to be present at that media opportunity and therefore need to know when it will be (either the evening of 24 February, or any time from lunchtime on 25 February, depending on when the meeting wraps up) then please email lucy.benjamin@icc-cricket.com with your contact details (‘phone and email).
Among the items for discussion on the CEC agenda are the following:

West Indies v England, second Test in Antigua
The CEC will discuss what can be done to ensure there is no repeat of the events surrounding the above match, which was abandoned after 10 balls because of an unfit outfield.

Future Tours Programme (FTP) post-2012

The meeting will discuss options for the international schedule when the current FTP concludes in May 2012.

Extensive discussions have already taken place at both CEC and ICC Board meetings and this gathering will attempt to find a way forward given some Members such as England and India have already expressed reservations about the idea of an enhanced Test Championship.

Promoting Test cricket

At its December 2008 meeting in Cape Town, the CEC agreed there was a need to invest in the promotion of Test cricket to retain and grow interest and attract spectators to stadia to watch what is regarded as the pinnacle of the sport.

Subsequent to that meeting, all Full Members were asked to nominate a member of staff to sit on a working group to ensure the drive was a coordinated exercise throughout the cricket world.

Now that working group has begun to meet on a monthly basis via teleconference, the CEC will receive an update on progress and discuss how best to continue to take the matter forward.

ICC Anti-Doping Code (2009)
All Full Members and the top six Associate Members have agreed to have in place World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-compliant codes by 1 July 2009.

At its December 2008 meeting the CEC agreed that draft copies of each Member’s anti-doping code had to be submitted to the ICC by 1 March 2009 to allow for any necessary amendments to be made by the required deadline.

The meeting will receive an update on what progress has been made towards the above objective and discuss what each Member needs to do to ensure it is code-compliant by the deadline date.

Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU)
The CEC will receive a briefing from ACSU General Manager/Chief Investigator Ravi Sawani.

The CEC comprises the chief executives of the 10 Test-playing Members and three representatives from ICC Associate Members. It is chaired by the ICC Chief Executive. The ICC President and the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee will also be in attendance.

Associate Member representatives