The outcome of the appeal by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) against the International Cricket Council’s ruling that it must play its February 13 World Cup match in Zimbabwe is to be announced in Cape Town on Friday night.
ICC representative Mark Harrison said the appeal would be heard in Cape Town by Constitutional Court Judge Albie Sachs on Friday afternoon. The outcome would be conveyed to the media at the Holiday Inn in Strand Street after 7pm.
Harrison emphasised that the appeal hearing would not take place at the Holiday Inn. The appeal followed the ICC’s ruling — after more than four hours of deliberations in Cape Town on Thursday night – that England must play their match in Harare.
Shortly after the decision was reached, the ECB appealed against the ruling.
Harrison said Sachs’ decision on England’s appeal would be final.
Asked why a Constitutional Court judge was hearing the appeal, Harrison said the judge had been a member of the ICC’s code of conduct commission.
”He has been consulted on various matters in the past and is someone who understands cricket. Therefore he was the appropriate person to nominate as a commissioner,” Harrison said.
Sachs, in his directions to the two parties, said it was in the interests of all concerned that the appeal was dealt with as rapidly as possible.
He said the appeal was set down for a private oral hearing at 4pm. The lawyers for the ECB will have 30 minutes for oral presentation and the Zimbabwe Cricket Union’s lawyers will have 30 minutes for reply.
Sachs confirmed the hearing would take place in private and he would give his verdict at a media conference at the Holiday Inn, but not before 7pm.
New Zealand meanwhile have yet to put in an official request for a venue switch. They are due in Nairobi on February 21 but have refused to play there, citing players’ safety. New Zealand reportedly warned they could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.
Harrison commented that the position as far as New Zealand was concerned was ”a little unclear at the moment,” but Sachs’ decision on the England appeal would be final.
Simon Wilson, a representative for the New Zealand team said it was up to the New Zealand Cricket Association’s chief executive to decide whether to take the matter to the Lausanne court or to appeal in the way England had.
”But we are here just to concentrate on cricket,” Wilson said. – Sapa