Dubai, Dec. 17 : ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat has identified slow over-rates and verbal abuse as two key areas that must be kept in check for cricket to maintain its feel-good factor over the coming months.

Lorgat confirmed he had written to all Emirates ICC match referees and umpires asking them to be "assertive and proactive" in dealing with the issues.

And, he added that players, and especially captains, also bore a major responsibility to ensure the game was played in the right spirit and at the right pace.

Dubai, Dec. 16 : ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat has sent a message of congratulation and gratitude to the India and England teams after a hard-fought and exciting Test match in Chennai, played in trying circumstances.

"I have been in touch with both the BCCI and ECB since the end of the match to thank them for what was a great advertisement for cricket," an ICC press release quoted Lorgat, as saying.

Dubai, Dec 15 (ANI): South Africa will overtake Australia at the top if it wins series 3-0; India will retake second place if it beats England in Mohali.

South Africa will go top of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Championship table if it beats Australia 3-0 in the three-match series that gets underway in Perth on Wednesday.

Graeme Smith's team gets its tour underway in earnest with two fast bowlers - Makhaya Ntini and Dale Steyn - in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Test Player Rankings on a WACA surface that traditionally favours the pace men.

Dubai, Dec. 15 : The International Cricket Council has announced it is seeking requests for proposals (RFPs) from qualified companies interested in providing specialist audio-visual archive management services.

The successful company will work closely with the ICC to market and manage footage from various cricket events, including the ICC Cricket World Cup, the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC World Twenty20.

Dubai, Dec 15 : The Brit couple, who were sentenced to a three-month suspended imprisonment for having sex on the Jumeirah beach in Dubai, have turned themselves in to serve their time.

Vince Acors, 34, and Michelle Palmer, 36, are currently being detained at Dubai''s Central Prison after they paid 1,000 Dirhams as fine, at noon on December 14.

Dubai, Dec. 11 : The International Cricket Council has announced the referee and umpires who will officiate in the upcoming Test series between Australia and South Africa.

Ranjan Madugalle from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees will lead the playing control team for the series.

The first Test, which takes place in Perth from 17 to 21 December will be umpired by Asoka de Silva and Aleem Dar from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires.

The second Test will take place in Melbourne from 26 to 30 December and will feature on-field umpires Billy Doctrove from the Emirates Elite Panel and Dar.