HONGKONG Cricket Association officials are to make a personal plea to the new chief executive of the International Cricket Council, David Richards, when he visits the territory today on his way from Australia to London.
Association chairman Peter Slack, secretary John Cribbin and chairman of selectors Rod Eddington will meet Richards and outline Hongkong's objections to a proposal which will go before the annual meeting of world cricket's associate members at Lord's in July.
Kenya, who will stage the fifth ICC Trophy in Nairobi next February and March, want to increase the residency qualification rule from four years to seven. If the proposal is passed, Hongkong's plans for the event would be in tatters because several of their first-choice players would not be eligible to take part.
So the Hongkong officials will take the opportunity to push their case to Richards, who will leave his post with the Australian Cricket Board to take up his ICC role permanently in June.
Said Slack: ''We want to give him a brief introduction to Hongkong cricket and to explain the role we play in this part of the world.
''But obviously the thing we are worried about is if they change the qualification rule this summer.