Control of the Hong Kong Sixes is soon to come under the auspices of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) it was revealed at last night's AGM. John Hung, outgoing president of the HKCA said the association, along with the International Cricket Council (ICC), will soon share a 60 per cent equity share in a new company which would run the Hong Kong Sixes. Cricket World International (CWI), promoters of the Hong Kong Sixes, will be left with 40 per cent. In the past four years, CWI has had full control and paid the HKCA a six-figure sanction fee. This revelation came about at last night's AGM after Kowloon Cricket Club's (KCC) outspoken member Jim Middleton accused the HKCA hierarchy of not being accountable and taking an arbitrary decision to move the Sixes to the Hong Kong Stadium this year. In a seven-page denunciation, Middleton said local cricket was losing out as decisions, which were not in the best interests of the game - like moving the Hong Kong Sixes from KCC to the Stadium - were being taken by individuals and not by the whole executive committee of the HKCA. 'The first thing that at least three members of the HKCA executive committee knew about the move was when they read it in the newspapers,' said Middleton. His inquiry - which came to an end after he was unanimously voted down - said the move to the stadium had dangerous implications which might backfire on Hong Kong cricket's image. One of his worries is that organisers have still not agreed to the laying of a suitable pitch. Middleton said: 'To make this uni-or bi-lateral decision without discussing important items with the full executive, such as the laying of a suitable pitch [at the stadium] is a complete no-no. 'I believe a meeting is only going to be held on July 17th on this topic. Will the stadium authorities agree to dig the pitch up to lay a sub-surface of concrete or any other hard material? Just imagine if Waqar Younis bowling at 90 mph on something less than a true pitch . . . he could kill someone. 'It will make a televised mockery of the event and put its future in doubt. Will players come back after that?' asked Middleton. Hung, who stepped down as HKCA president after taking over the post of chairman of the Sports Development Board, brushed aside these attacks saying that the move to the stadium was in the best 'long-term interests' of the game in Hong Kong. 'We had to bite the bullet. For the event to grow, a move to the stadium was necessary. For the last two years we have locked people out at KCC. You can do things at the stadium which you can't dream of at the KCC, like bringing in school children for free,' said Hung. As for the pitch, Hung admitted that there were 'concerns'. He said: 'It is an important part of a problem. But I don't think that it is a major worry when you weigh the advantages of the move against the disadvantages. HKCA secretary John Cribbin said the move to the stadium was conditional on there being a suitable grass outfield and an international standard wicket. Hung said the ICC had insisted the Hong Kong Sixes found a bigger venue this year if they were to endorse the tournament - thus giving it an official date in the international calendar and seeing that all Test countries sent representative teams. 'The Sixes is a catalyst for the development of the game in Hong Kong. 'We had no option but to move, in light of what the ICC wanted.' The original contract between CWI and HKCA ended after last year's event. This year's Sixes, in which world one-day champions Sri Lanka will compete, is from September 21-22.
