India's decision `internal matter': Dalmiya

The Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya on Wednesday described the government's decision not to allow the Indian team to participate in the Asian Test Championship as an "internal matter" and asserted that the meet would go ahead as scheduled.

"It is purely an internal matter between the Government of India and the Indian Cricket Board. The ACC or the ACF has no jurisdiction to deal with the respective governments. I have no comment to make on the decision", Dalmiya said in Kolkata.

He said the ACC had taken a policy decision to continue with its tournaments even if one of the four Test playing countries pulled out and there would be no exception this time also.

The decision not to participate in the ATC was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Union Home Minister LK Advani and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday evening.

The discussions took place on the basis of a letter Union Sports Minister Uma Bharati wrote to the Prime Minister suggesting India should not participate in the Asian Test Championship which begins in Multan on August 29 with a match between defending champion Pakistan and newcomers Bangladesh.