Rescue bid for India Test

Speed has not given up hope of a resolution

The International Cricket Council is to give India one last chance to save the first Test against England at Mohali.

President Malcolm Gray and chief executive Malcolm Speed could meet Indian cricket boss Jagmohan Dalmiya on Saturday as the crisis surrounding the selection of Virender Sehwag continues.

It means the initial deadline of 0630GMT on Friday for India to decide whether Sehwag will play has been put back.

But, at a news conference at Lord's on Thursday evening, Speed insisted the issue would have to be resolved by the end of Saturday at the very latest.

Speed said there had been long telephone calls involving himself, Gray and Dalmiya in the last two days, with no obvious conclusion in sight.

Dalmiya is making life difficult for the ICC

He said: "The barometer of my optimism has gone up and down in the last 48 hours.

"There have been times when I thought there was no chance of resolving the issue and times when I thought there was a good chance.

"At the moment we are sitting between those two extremes."

Speed was renowned for taking a tough line on discipline when in charge of the Australian Cricket Board.

But he admitted that he and Gray had been persuaded by Dalmiya to move the deadline beyond the original Friday cut-off.

Uncertainty

Speed added: "At this stage I am unable to say if we will get to that stage. It may be that the discussions break down.

"We don't want this going down to the last moment - to the team being presented to the opposing captain just before the toss with an excited cricket ground full of fans.

"If the match is to be cancelled it must happen well before the proposed start of play on Monday.

"We have looked at a number of options but I think you would be surprised, if you had access to the discussions that have taken place, at the options we've looked at."

Mike Denness: public enemy No.1 in India

But asked if there was any compromise that would enable Sehwag to take part in the match, he added: "That is not something that is acceptable to the ICC."

England, who recognise ICC jurisdiction, would have no option but to withdraw from the first Test if the 23-year-old batsman is selected.

Intense discussions have been taking place over the past 24 hours between the ICC and Dalmiya, it has emerged.

Earlier, the ICC said in a statement that it had made three written offers to the BCCI "in an effort to reach a sensible resolution to the matter."

The last ditch face-to-face meeting is scheduled to be held on neutral ground in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sehwag has played in just two Tests but hit a century on his debut against South Africa.

But in the second match at Port Elizabeth, he was one of six Indians disciplined by match referee Mike Denness.

Denness, who has invoked the wrath of millions of Indians, banned Sehwag for one match.

However India insist Sehwag served that ban in the unofficial match at Centurion Park.