Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi, February 11:

The ICC may take a decision to completely overhaul the international tour programme and fix Dubai as its new headquarters when the board meets here next month. According to well-placed sources in the Indian cricket board, the 10-year Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 10 Test nations would be on top of the agenda when the presidents of the cricket boards meet on March 17 and 18. The ICC board of directors may also finally decide to shift its headquarters to Dubai, which has already been approved 11-1 by them.

“One of the matters on the agenda will be the review of the structure of cricket,” the top official said. “This is a project that has been ongoing since June 2003, through which a number of potential models (to replace FTP) have been produced to consider,” he said, pointing out that the issue had been discussed at all ICC board meetings since June 2003. The discontinuation of the India-Pakistan Test series since 1999, allegations of racism in Zimbabwe cricket leading to tours being cancelled and the reluctance of top Test nations to play against weaker teams are some of the reasons why the FTP, launched in 2001, could not be implemented.