BCCI to take decision on Commonwealth Games invite

MUMBAI: The Cricket Board will decide on Friday whether to accept the proposal for inclusion of the willow sport in the Commonweath Games, to be held in 2010 in New Delhi, after a gap of 12 years.

The BCCI's working committee, which will meet on Saturday, will discuss the issue and decide whether cricket will be a medal sport at the next CWG after having made its debut in 1998 at Kuala Lumpur, a Board source said.

"BCCI Chief Sharad Pawar had met the Commonwealth Games Federation Chief Michael Fennell along with Arun Jaitley last month and a letter has been received proposing cricket's inclusion in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi. The matter is to be taken up at the meeting," the source said.

After its debut in Malaysia, cricket was not part of the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and Melbourne respectively but may return in 2010 if the BCCI accepts the proposal.

However, it is not clear whether any discussion will be held at the meeting over Pawar's likely nomination to succeed Percy Sonn as the next President of the International Cricket Council though BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah had indicated this would be discussed at the meeting, the source  said.

"It's not listed on the agenda," the source said.

Pawar has received support from the three other South Asian cricket boards, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, to succeed South Africa's Sonn, who had taken over the reins of the ICC earlier this year, as the next chief of the world body.