ICC appoints Beloff to hear plea on Kotla ban

Dubai: The International Cricket Council appointed Michael Beloff as the Appeals Commissioner to hear BCCI`s plea against the one-year ban on New Delhi`s Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.

"The ICC today announced that the Honourable Michael Beloff QC has been appointed to hear the appeal of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against the decision of the ICC`s General Manager - Cricket and ICC`s chief referee that no international cricket would be played at the New Delhi ground until the end of December 2010," an ICC statement said.

"The matter will now proceed in accordance with the ICC`s Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process and no further statement will be issued until after the matter has been decided," it said.

Chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission Beloff is an experienced sports lawyer and sits frequently as an arbitrator in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Earlier, ICC had decided that no international cricket will be staged at Kotla stadium for one year after a One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka was abandoned last month due to a dangerous pitch.

"David Richardson and Ranjan Madugalle had reached the decision following an investigation into the abandonment of a One-day International match between India and Sri Lanka on 27 December 2009," it said.