Asian Sixes series bites the dust without a ball being bowled

Opposition from the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) was the prime reason for the collapse of next month's inaugural iSixes World Series event in Singapore, according to Hong Kong official John Cribbin.

'The ACC executive board recently decided they would not support the proposed series,' said Cribbin, who is secretary of the Hong Kong Cricket Association and an ICC representative.

'This has obviously made the event unviable.'

Jason Warne, an organiser of the series which promised a US$1 million purse to the winner of the final, admitted the series wouldn't take place as scheduled.

'We have had to go back to the drawing board,' said Warne, the brother of Australian test legend Shane.

Singapore was to host the first event from July 4-6 with further events proposed for Dubai, Shanghai and one other stop. Hong Kong was also approached by the organiser - Harsh Sabale, whose company Zero Friction ran the Hong Kong Sixes last year - but stayed away as the iSixes had failed to get backing from the International Cricket Council, the world governing body.

'We took a wait-and-see approach and obviously our decision has been vindicated,' said Cribbin. 'While we would have been glad to see the development of an international sixes circuit, we have always held the view that cricket should be owned by cricket and not private entrepreneurs.'