Reuters

Dubai, Jan 18: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has warned India against making unilateral decisions about the cricket calendar after the Indian board said it would not take part in the Champions Trophy after this year.

The ICC said in a news release from its headquarters in Dubai on Tuesday that chief executive Malcolm Speed has written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India "to remind it of the obligations it has as a member of the international cricket community".

"The President [Ehsan Mani] and I are both very concerned that BCCI is moving ahead and taking what appear to be unilateral decisions that are contrary to ICC policy as agreed by the ICC members including BCCI," Speed wrote.

The Indian board, who are staging the Champions Trophy from October 7 to November 5 this year, said on Monday that India would not be free to take part in the tournament in future years.

It argued that holding the trophy in October broke into India's season and so cut revenue.

The biennial Champions Trophy was launched in 1998 to raise money for the ICC's development projects. BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said on Monday the event had been scheduled so that it did not clash with Australia's or England's season.

"If others want to play they can. Why should we play in October," he said.

In its statement the ICC said decisions taken at a meeting in Auckland in 2004 resolving to adopt a future tours programme are binding on India as on all members of the ICC.

"Any attempt by a member to amend it unilaterally without the consent of the ICC Executive Board is invalid," the ICC quoted Speed as saying.

It added that the "next appropriate forums to discuss ICC policy were the Chief Executives' Committee and Executive Board meetings scheduled for February and March 2006 respectively."