World cricket slipped deeper into crisis today when Virender Sehwag was named in India's squad of 14 for the first Test against England at Mohali on Monday in defiance of ICC's ruling that he is banned from India's next Test. Niranjan Shah, secretary of the Indian board (BCCI), said that only the president of the board, Jagmohan Dalmiya, could de-select Sehwag from the squad. "The whole thing has been put to our working committee," said Shah, speaking at a press conference in Jaipur. "And they have given full power to the president because whatever steps he has taken have been endorsed by the total board.

"Mr Dalmiya has total and exclusive power to deal with the dispute with ICC."

The ICC has given Dalmiya a deadline of noon Friday, Calcutta time (6.30am GMT), to confirm that Sehwag will not be in the final XI, or the Test against England is likely to be deemed unofficial.

When asked whether Dalmiya had read the letter sent yesterday by ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, Shah said: "He must have read the letter. He is in Calcutta and he will say whatever he wants to answer there directly to Malcolm Speed."

The chairman of selectors, Chandu Borde, said there had been no question of omitting Sehwag from the 14. "You cannot drop a person who has scored a hundred on debut."

He also reiterated what he had said yesterday, that the squad had been selected only on merit, that the BCCI had not put them under any pressure, and that he had not spoken to Dalmiya in the last 24 hours.

Asked whether he realised that his decision to pick Sehwag could split world cricket, he replied: "It is not my concern actually.

"After looking at the wicket, we will select the team," Borde stressed, which seemed to suggest that the final XI would not be named until the morning of the match - and the deadline might be ignored.

Tanya Aldred is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd