LONDON (Reuters)
Mike Denness, the match referee at the centre of the row between India and the International Cricket Council (ICC), thanked cricket's world governing body for standing by him throughout the 10-day crisis.

"My reaction is one of delight with the support I have received from the ICC during this time," Denness was quoted as saying in British newspaper The Times.

Denness disciplined six Indian players after last month's second Test against South Africa, sparking a political furore that threatened to paralyse international cricket.

Former England captain Denness said he was particularly pleased that England's three-Test series in India, which starts at Mohali on Monday, would go ahead as planned.

Denness added: "I'm even more delighted that the game will go ahead and that cricket in the world will return to normalcy.

"I've always said in my life in business or cricket that you should try and improve on what you have done. As I understand it they [the ICC] are going to review the whole system."

Ian Botham, another former England captain, said the power struggle had led to a difficult situation for the players but he said such controversies were to be expected on tour.

"Of course it is ridiculous that England should land in Chandigarh 48 hours before the first Test of a series not knowing if there would even be a game for them to play," Botham wrote in his column in Saturday's Daily Mirror.

"But trauma and strife are nothing new on an England tour and the best way to treat distractions like Jagmohan Dalmiya's game of bluff with the International Cricket Council is to ignore them."

The most outspoken critic of the controversy has been the current England captain Nasser Hussain.

"I'm not amused about what has gone on, it's been a shocking week for cricket," Hussain said.

"There are bosses and governors in this world who run things and the ICC run cricket. The sooner everyone realises the ICC are running the game as it should be the better.

"The two gentlemen who run the ICC now [chief executive Malcolm Speed and president Malcolm Gray] are doing a fine job but it's no good making decisions bottom to top. Everyone should adhere to what the governing body says."

England's series with India was in doubt until Friday when India agreed to drop batsman Virender Sehwag who was given a one-match ban by Denness for dissent.

In return, the ICC has vowed to investigate decisions made by Denness during India's tour of South Africa.

South Africa acceded to India's demand to replace Denness as referee for the third Test and the ICC responded by declaring the match unofficial.

Although Sehwag missed the third Test, with the Indians saying he had served his ban, the ICC subsequently ruled him ineligible for the first Test against England.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd