India to push for significant control over revenue, power structure
Singapore: India will push for significant control over the ICC’s revenue and power structure when a radical revamp plan is put to vote in a meeting here on Saturday despite strong resentment from the Cricket Boards of South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The controversial restructuring of the ICC, which would cede executive decision-making to India, Australia and England, requires consent of eight of the 10 member Boards and it remains to be seen whether the dissenting Boards remain adamant or agree to the changes.
The three Boards could relent if the the ‘Big Three’ offer some lucrative tour assurances in bargain.
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa have refused to back the plan stating that it only makes the ‘Big Three’ more powerful.
BCCI President N Srinivasan has, however, defended the proposal stating that a strong India would be good for world cricket and that efforts were on to get a consensus among ICC members.
During the ICC Board meeting last month in Dubai last month, a final decision on the proposal was deferred due to a lack of unanimity among the member boards.
At the Dubai meeting, the BCCI’s status as the most influential cricketing body in the world was formally acknowledged with a bulk of its demands getting passed.
While BCCI’s demand for immunity of the ‘Big Three’ in a two-tier Test format was ruled out, they had their way in deciding the exclusive bi-lateral series agreements from 2015-2023.
The revamp plan focusses on the establishment of an Executive Committee (ExCo) and Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) to provide leadership at an operational level, with five members, including BCCI, Cricket Australia and England and Wales Cricket Board representatives.
The decks were also cleared for BCCI president N Srinivasan to become the chairman of the ICC Board with effect from June 2014.
Similarly, a Cricket Australia representative will be the chairman of the Executive Committee (EX-Co) while the ECB representative will be head of Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee.
BCCI also had their way in doing away with the proposed World Test Championship. The Indian Board managed to keep the Champions Trophy (50-over format) among the three ICC tournaments being organised in every four years.
The ICC board also decided to create a ‘Test Cricket Fund’ from which all other members (excluding BCCI, CA, ECB) will be equally paid to encourage Test cricket.
Meanwhile, responding to opposition from Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to the proposed changes in ICC’s structure, ICC’s head of legal affairs Iain Higgins has said that the revamp model was “legally sound” and member boards can vote against it should it be brought to vote during Saturday’s Board meeting.
On Wednesday, SLC president Jayantha Dharmadasa wrote to Higgins after a special meeting of the SLC stakeholders voted unanimously against the revised proposals presented to the ICC directors at the ICC Board meeting on January 28.
According to Cricinfo, Higgins has replied to Dharamdasa, saying that “the proposals themselves could be “considered” within the ICC’s “Memorandum and Articles of Association” and members are free express their opposition.
“[…]On the face of the resolutions themselves, they would appear to be correct. Any Member who disagrees with that analysis or any of the resolutions is, of course, free to vote against the resolutions, or take such other action as they see fit,” Higgins wrote. (PTI)