MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) executive board will hold the first of its scheduled 2012 meetings in Dubai, from 31 January -1 February.

The major topics on the agenda include ICC VP (2012-2014) nomination.

The ICC board will consider the nomination received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the next ICC VP who will succeed Alan Isaac as the ICC president in 2014.

Promotion of Test Cricket: Following the decision to defer the Test World Championship, the ICC Board will consider a proposal to increase incentives in the form of prize money to promote Test match cricket in the period before the ICC Test Championship event in 2017.

Other agenda items include update reports on the ICC Global Cricket Academy, the implementation of Anti-Corruption Codes at domestic level, the adoption of a Safety and Security Code, the independent report from KPMG on ticketing during the ICC Cricket World Cup and the annual report from the ICC Ethics Officer

Independent Governance Review: In April 2011, the ICC had adopted a new strategic plan which identified the need for an independent governance review as one of the key initiatives to ?build a bigger, better global game?. In August 2011, after confirming the scope for the review, the ICC Board appointed Lord Woolf of Barnes and PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct the review.

The governance review is intended to help the ICC?s aspiration to be a well governed and leading global sporting organisation. The Board had agreed that, inter-alia, the ICC?s committee structure and Board makeup will benefit from a thorough governance review, recognising that the ICC?s Memorandum and Articles were drafted at a time when the cricket landscape was very different.

Following an interim report presented by Lord Woolf during October 2011, the ICC Executive Board will now receive a final report with recommendations. Lord Woolf, who has been assisted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and advised by Judge Mudgal of India, had previously praised the Board for embracing the concept of an independent review.

The scope of the review is comprehensive and includes:

- Clarifying the role and structure of the ICC and its committees to ensure that strategic goals are met effectively and that decision-making is made in the best interests of the game. This would include consideration of independent committee members and directors

- The ICC president nomination and election process

- The Member categories and criteria for membership

- The effectiveness of the regulatory environment

- The Constitutional framework and documents to ensure they are ?fit for purpose?

- Making recommendations to ensure that the ICC enjoys a reputation as a well governed and leading global sporting organisation.

MUMBAI: Sahara One?s latest musical offering Sur-Kshetra is a face off between two traditional rivals India and Pakistan.

The competition will scout and train top singing talents in the two nations. The two teams will be headed by Himesh Reshamiya (India) and Atif Aslam (Pakistan). The show is produced and directed by Gajendra Singh?s Saaibaba Telefilms which has to its credit shows like Saregama, Voice of India, Music Ka Maha Muqaabala and Chote Ustaad.

The show will premiere in late January and the channel will soon announce the jury for the same.

Sahara One Media and Entertainment assistant director worker Suresh Mishra said, "Even though political boundaries have divided our two nations, music has always fostered a common and harmonious bond. With our new musical show - Sur-Kshetra, we are making an attempt to revive the golden era and to bring forth the best of talents from India and Pakistan for our viewers."

Sur-Kshetra will be shot in Dubai and the auditions for the show begin today with Lucknow and Kolkata in India. A total of six cities in India and three cities in Pakistan will see auditions. After selecting the contestants, they will be trained by the two mentors and will finally compete on the big stage.

Saaibaba Telefilms founder and MD Gajendra Singh said, "Music has always inspired me to explore new avenues. With ?Sur-Kshetra? we aim to touch newer heights and create a new musical world."

MUMBAI: UTV Bindass, the youth channel from the UTV Group, is launching a new non-fiction drama series The Khan Sisters, which allows its viewers to take a sneak peek in to the real lifestyle of B-town sisters Gauahar & Nigaar Khan.

Premiering on 19 November, the show will be aired every Saturday at 7 pm.

The show consists of 13 episodes, showcasing a mixture of reality and drama. It brings to fore the lives the sisters lead in Mumbai, Delhi and Dubai- the love, the fights and the differences in their lives.

UTV Bindass business head Keith Alphonso said, "The treatment of the show is refreshingly different from anything else that you would have seen before on Indian television. With this show we aim to redefine the reality genre. The Khan Sisters is all about discovering the unseen side of the reel stars. I am sure the audience would love to get a sneak peek into their lives."

The show is a window into their private world of the two sisters. It?s about all those unspoken territories that happen in a celebrity?s life. As the show progresses, it will go on to divulge the developments that take shape in the lives of the Khan sisters and their family, all of this while the camera rolls on.

MUMBAI: The International cricket Council (ICC) executive board has confirmed their preference to host an ICC Test Championship in 2013.

But at the same time it has recognised the significant commercial challenge in trying to replace the Champions Trophy. Without the support and consent of their broadcast partner ESPN Star Sports, the financial implications on the Members and the development of the game would be significant.

The ICC Executive Board held its fourth and final scheduled meeting of the year at the ICC headquarters in Dubai yesterday.

ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat said, ?It would be unfortunate if the Test Championship is delayed to 2017 but the board needs to balance several objectives."

Lorgat has also been quoted in media reports saying that a
championship format in which India might miss out on taking part was also a consideration for the executive board. India is in third spot in the Test rankings, having lost the top spot after the thrashing in England.

The ICC will need to have a meeting with ESS before taking a decision.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the current constitutional requirements.