Cricket: Offer 'no olive branch' says Snedden

An International Cricket Council statement about appeal alternatives open to New Zealand Cricket following its refusal to allow the New Zealand team to play in Kenya is not considered conciliatory by chief executive Martin Snedden.

The ICC bulletin offers avenues for NZC to take its case after New Zealand refused to play their World Cup match in Nairobi on February 21 following a damning security report on the region.

However, Snedden said last night that while some people may have considered it as the ICC offering an olive branch to New Zealand, he did not interpret it that way.

"I read it and just thought it was really only functional. I did not read anything else into it," Snedden said.

A practising lawyer until he started the NZC job in July 2001, Snedden said he spent the weekend poring over appeal procedures and preparing briefing papers for legal counsel.

Snedden leaves for South Africa today, by which time he said he should have a better idea on NZC's ability to mount a challenge to the ICC's directive to play in Nairobi.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said he recognised the serious security issues raised by New Zealand and would work to see if the match could still proceed or be rescheduled.

Speed said the ICC would make available its intelligence and security advisers to provide a detailed briefing on the advice it had received about a terrorist cell operating in Nairobi.

Speed said he would talk to Snedden to confirm the ICC dispute resolution process to be used.

"NZC is entitled to seek this review in light of any concerns it may hold and it is appropriate the ICC's decisions are thoroughly scrutinised in this way," he said.

The possible options include an independent ICC committee of five members to hear the dispute, the ICC World Cup events technical committee or arbitration through the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

Snedden said it was likely NZC would appeal to the technical committee for a review of the case.

NZC believes the ICC is unreasonable in expecting New Zealand to play in Kenya where the security issues are significant and the players' safety is jeopardised.

The World Cup's technical committee comprises tournament chief Ali Bacher (South Africa), Speed, Sunil Gavaskar (India), Michael Holding (West Indies) , ICC commercial manager Campbell Jamieson and Brian Basson (South Africa).

Bacher has already said the Black Caps would forfeit their points from the Kenyan match.

While New Zealand won't go to Kenya, Sri Lanka will honour their World Cup fixture in Nairobi, captain Sanath Jayasuriya confirmed yesterday.

"We have no problem, we're going to play there," Jayasuriya said shortly after the Sri Lankan squad arrived in South Africa for the World Cup which begins this weekend.

Kenya host Sri Lanka, World Cup champions in 1996, on February 24, while New Zealand were due to play there three days earlier. None of the other four teams in pool B have to travel to Kenya.

Kenya play South Africa in Potchefstroom on February 12, Canada in Cape Town three days later, Bangladesh in Johannesburg on March 1 and the West Indies in Kimberley on March 4.