Chappell blasts ICC for letting Zim stay on

Former Australian skipper Ian Chappell has lashed out at the ICC for adding yet another "ignominious" chapter in its "chequered history" by allowing Zimbabwe to stay on board and bending rules to placate Pakistan.

In a bitter outburst, Chappell said the Zimbabwe issue has become a "raging bushfire" because of the ICC's inaction and the same holds true for the Oval Test, the result of which was changed from a forfeit win for England to a draw in the ICC executive meeting last week.

Zimbabwe was allowed to keep its full membership on the ICC Board in lieu of opting out of the Twenty20 World Championship in England.

The decision means that the strife-torn African country's board will continue to get the ICC's financial aid despite audit reports giving damning evidence of bungling in Zimbabwe Cricket's accounts. And Chappell said he was livid with the way ICC has dealt with the matter.

"The ICC's structure means it often doesn't react quickly to issues, and smouldering embers regularly turn into raging bushfires," Chappell was quoted as saying by The Daily Telegraph.

"The structure also encourages board executives to think of their country first and the game last and consequently the ICC has had a number of ignominious days in its chequered history," he added.

"However, this latest meeting surpassed all their previous efforts and it now seems as though the only ones they are fooling are themselves."

Chappell also took a dig at ZC chief Peter Chingoka's claim that Zimbabwe pulled out of the Twenty20 World Cup in the larger interest of the game.

"More like they pulled out of the tournament to keep everyone happy on a board renowned for its politicking and power-broking, and in return ZC retained all its perks," Chappell said.

The former Aussie captain was no less annoyed with the decision to change the result of Oval Test, which was deemed forfeited after Pakistan refused to take the field in protest of accusations of ball-tampering.

"Throughout the 129 years of Test cricket prior to the Oval, many teams have been wronged. In the end common sense always prevailed - until all sanity flew out of the Pakistan dressing room window at The Oval and they refused to play on," Chappell said.

"A forfeit was the only conclusion to be drawn from Pakistan's actions and only the ICC could come to any other decision," he added.