Majola denies saying that Third Test will go ahead

United Cricket Board chief executive Gerald Majola has denied saying that the third Test match between South Africa and India will go ahead on Friday on the basis of assurances given him by Indian cricket officials.

India have threatened to boycott the match if ICC match referee Mike Denness is not replaced after finding Indian batting star Sachin Tendulkar guilty of ball tampering as well as imposing a variety of sentences on five other Indian players for excessive appealing. The harshest punishment dealt out was a one-Test ban for Virender Sehwag which would have prevented him playing in the third Test.

Frantic negotiations have taken place since Tuesday between South African and Indian officials and the ICC in an effort to ensure that the match goes ahead, but, speaking on Thursday morning, Majola said he had not yet been given any assurance by the Indian governing body that the match would be played.

A report on the BBC website claims that Majola had said that the Indian board had given assurances that the match would proceed. Majola said he had not spoken to anyone from the BBC.