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ICC on a sticky wicket
NEW DELHI. Feb 9: International Cricket Council (ICC) chief Clyde Walcott said today he was "helpless" in resolving the World Cup crisis over Srl Lanka continuing as co-hosts, a newspaper report said, re-
no influence over the countries that are participating in the World Cup. We cannot force any team to go and play in Sri Lanka." Walcott told the Delhi-baaed Evening News soon after reaching Calcutta fpr Sunday's opening ceremony.
Walcott and ICC chief executive David Richards. of Australia are due to meet organisers on Saturday to act on the refusals by Australia
and the West Indies to ploy in Sri Lanka after last week's bombing in Colombo which killed more than 85 people.
The joint Pak lndo-Lanka Organising Committee (PILCOM) has refused demands to shifl venues, insisting that both Australia and the West indies must play in Sri Lanka or forfeit their matches
Walcott also told the newspaper he saw no merit In PlLCOM's demand to ask the United Nations if the situation was favourable in Srl Lanka to hold matches.
"I don't think it will serve any purpose." Walcott was quoted as saying. “Anyway, let's try. We will do everything possible to solve the
Australia are scheduled to play fn Colombo on February 17 and the West Indies on February 25. Zimbabwe and Kenya, two other nations
billed to play in Sri Lanka, have agreed to go there.
Meanwhile. Lankan Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar is sending a bouquet of flowers to his Australian counterpart in a bid to mend relations strained after Australia refused to play in Colombo.
Srl Lanka's high commissioner in Canberra. Elmo Seneviratne. who had been ordered to send the flowers, had remarked that it "might be a sissy thing to do."
"But I disagreed with his opinion, and flowers you will get. as large a bouquet as possible." said Kadirgamar in a letter to Senator Gareth Evans.
The letter to Evans was sent on Thursday, and the flowers were scheduled to be delivered Friday, said a foreign ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The Sri Lankan minister was responding to a letter by Evans informing Kadirgamar that the Australian Cricket Board had reaffirmed its decision not to send its cricket team to Colombo despite an offer of added security.
T fully appreciate that this decision will disappoint you and many of your fellow citizens ... 1 recognise also that this outcome is doubly painful in that it results from an act of terrorism of particular brutality and ruthlessness, said Evans In his letter.