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Sunday, Jun 10, 2007
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Woolmer was a genius, says Mali

Special Correspondent

Ray Mali. — Photo: S.S. Kumar

Chennai: Ray Mali, the acting president of the International Cricket Council (ICC), said the ICC was awaiting the Jamaican Police's statement on the cause of Bob Woolmer's death. "There have been conflicting statements on the issue," he noted while interacting with the media here on Saturday.

On Woolmer the late cricketer and coach, Mr. Mali said, "His death was a sad incident. He was a respected cricketer and a genius."

There has been friction between the ICC and the cricketers on issues relating to endorsements, but Mr. Mali is striving for greater cohesion with the players.

"The players are an integral part of cricket. Without players we won't have top-class cricket. We need to have understanding and unity and their agreements should be honoured."

Burn-out issue

Dwelling on excessive cricket and player burn out, he observed, "Players have been a part of formulation of fixtures. The representatives of the players have always agreed to the fixtures provided. If they want any changes, it can be discussed."

The acting ICC chief looked forward to the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa this September. "This is a new concept. I see it as a package for the family."

In the same breath, he added that the shorter versions of the game have had a positive impact on Test cricket. "We see more results in Tests. More than 300 runs are scored in a day on a regular basis."

Mr. Mali said there had been a decline in corruption in cricket. "Things have improved since 2000. We now have a team in place."

Shifting his attention to the proposed rule changes in ODI cricket, he said, "The Executive Board will meet on June 29 in London and take a decision."

On Zimbabwe not playing Test cricket, he said, "They opted not to play Test cricket. They said they would get back to us in November. In a family of ten children, the weaker children should be helped by the stronger ones. Some of the strong sides today, took more than 20 years to win their first Test."

Mr. Mali reiterated ICC's commitment to develop and promote the game, including women's cricket.

He called his predecessor the late Percy Sonn, a "great man and a visionary."

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