Calcutta: Having upped the ante on the Sourav Ganguly issue last week, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is now lying low.

It’s intentional ? in fact, part of ‘strategy’ which has been quickly revised.

“The International Cricket Council (ICC) remains upset over the arbitration-leak and, so, we’ve taken a ‘no comments’ stand,” a top BCCI source told The Telegraph on Monday evening.

The BCCI has, of course, formally asked for arbitration ? via a legal eagles’-drafted communication earlier in the day. Nothing, however, will be stated publicly.

“We’ve embarked on an unnavigated path and, potentially, the perils are many. Also, we’ve got to wait for the ICC to respond and lay down the procedure,” the gentleman added.

[Brendan McClements, an ICC general manager and spokesman, confirmed receipt of the Sourav-specific communication.

Speaking exclusively from London, he said: “The arbiter is likely to be appointed in the next 48 hours or so? The ground rules, from what I understand, are going to be set by him?”]

The push for arbitration (on the six-ODI ban slapped by Match Referee Chris Broad and upheld by appeals commissioner Michael Beloff) follows developments at the ICC’s Executive Board meeting last Monday.

The BCCI was represented by its immediate past president, Jagmohan Dalmiya. He’s also a former ICC chief.

Sourav, by the way, has already served one-third of his ban.

If even the arbiter ? frankly, not many within the BCCI are convinced the regular Team India captain has a strong enough case ? goes along with Broad and Beloff, then he will miss the vital league stage of the upcoming tri-series in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile, the Indians won’t run into the controversial Clive Lloyd or Broad either during their trip to Lanka or the engagements (tri-series, two Tests) in Zimbabwe.

The tri-series in Lanka heralds the 2005-06 season, with Zimbabwe being commitment No. 2.

Lloyd, it may be recalled, banned Sourav for two Tests after the Platinum Jubilee ODI here last November. That punishment, though, was overturned by appeals commissioner Tim Castle.

Apparently, the legendary West Indian didn’t take that very well.

As for Broad, he questioned Harbhajan Singh’s doosra twice within three months ? last December and, then, in March. On April 12, he nailed Sourav.

While Mike Procter is going to be the Match Referee in Lanka and during the Tests in Zimbabwe, Roshan Mahanama has been appointed for the tri-series in Zimbabwe.