The International Cricket Council needs more powers to deal withissues like match-fixing and the refusal of countries to play againstcertain opponents, ICC chief Malcolm Gray said in Sharjah on Tuesday

13-Jun-2001The International Cricket Council needs more powers to deal withissues like match-fixing and the refusal of countries to play againstcertain opponents, ICC chief Malcolm Gray said in Sharjah on Tuesday.Gray, in Sharjah for a brief stop en route to London to attend nextweek’s ICC annual general meeting, said the ICC needs sweeping powersin almost every area and vowed to take steps to eliminate matchfixing.”We hope and strive to get more powers to control the gameeffectively,” he told reporters at the Sharjah Stadium. He wasreferring to match-fixing scandals plaguing the game worldwide andIndia’s refusal to play traditional rivals Pakistan at some offshorevenues, the latest being in Sharjah in April.Gray praised the anti-corruption report submitted last month by formerScotland Yard chief Sir Paul Condon, adding the report would be takenup at the ICC meeting. “This meeting will be a key moment in cricket’sfightback against match-fixing as members from around the worldreaffirm their commitment to a corruption-free culture. No one shoulddoubt our determination to achieve this aim. After the meeting, theICC will announce what action it intends to take.”Gray said points accrued during a Test cricket championship serieswill be deducted from countries that refuse to play with others “forpolitical or other reasons