(Reuters) – Cricket’s governing body has held heartening talks with India’s cricket board (BCCI) over visa and tax arrangements as the country prepares to host the Twenty20 World Cup in October, says the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ehsan Mani has asked the ICC to guarantee visas for its players and support staff ahead of the tournament, as relations between the two neighbors have been icy.
India and Pakistan have not held a cricket series between the two countries since 2013 due to political tensions. The ICC has also held talks with the BCCI about securing tax exemptions for the tournament from the Indian government.
“The Board received an update on the ongoing preparations around the ICC Men’s 2020 T20 World Cup in India,” the ICC said in a statement.
“This included an update from the BCCI on positive discussions with the Indian government regarding tax arrangements and visa guarantees. “It is anticipated that both issues will be resolved over the next month.”
The ICC cricket committee, led by former India captain Anil Kumble, decided to continue the referee’s call in the Decision Review System (DRS), despite the protocol that faced heavy criticism from former and current players in recent months .
The ICC said, however, that it had changed DRS protocols for leg reviews before securing “the same adjudicator’s call edge around the stumps for height and width.
“The cricket committee had an excellent discussion about the referee’s call and analyzed its use extensively,” said Kumble.
“The principle underlying DRS was to correct clear in-game errors in securing the referee’s role in the decision-making of the playing field, keeping in mind the technology-related prediction element.
“Umpire’s call allows that to happen, which is why it’s important that it stays.”