TELFORD VICE
Test cricket’s smaller seven countries, among them SA, apparently agreed yesterday to pay a large chunk of the ransom being demanded of them by the big three of India, England and Australia at the International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting in Dubai.
That appeared to happen despite earlier indications that boards representing SA, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh opposed - or at least wanted deferred - a controversial proposal to restructure cricket that would give the haves almost all of the game’s money and power, and leave the have-nots with almost nothing by comparison.
To be accepted, the measures require the support of 75% of the 10 full members. That means the proposal would be defeated as soon as any three boards vote against it.
But, by the end of the day, the ICC put out a release claiming “unanimous support for key principles”. That would seem to approve, albeit only in principle, some of the most contentious aspects of the proposed changes.
However, other sources said the sharp end of the discussions had been postponed until next month’s board meeting. Indeed, powerful persuasion would have been needed to sway Cricket SA president Chris Nenzani from his stated view that the proposal was “fundamentally flawed as regards the process and, therefore, in breach of the ICC constitution”.
Top of the list of previously unacceptable measures which supposedly won support was the “recognition of the need for strong leadership of the ICC, involving leading members, which will involve BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) taking a central leadership responsibility”.
The ICC also reported the acceptance of a “need to recognise the varying contribution of full members to the value of ICC events through the payment of ‘contribution costs’” as well as the “establishment of an executive committee and financial and commercial affairs committee to provide leadership at an operational level, with five members, including BCCI, CA (Cricket Australia) and ECB (England Cricket Board) representatives”.
In short, cricket would in future be controlled by India, England and Australia, who would keep a larger share of the profits the game generates than currently. Their argument is that they generate most of the game’s revenue. India alone accounts for more than 70% of cricket’s global earnings.
The better news for the small seven is that the spectre of relegation from the ranks of test-playing countries, which was mooted in the original proposal, has vanished. Instead, “there will be an opportunity for all members to play all formats of cricket on merit”. There will be “no change to membership status”.
In addition, bilateral agreements made in terms of the future tours programme will be “legally binding and bankable”. For their next trick, the small seven will have to get the big three to agree to play against them.
“This is an important time for world cricket and it is extremely encouraging that the ICC board has unanimously supported a set of far-reaching principles that will underpin the long-term prosperity of the global game,” the release quoted ICC president Alan Isaac as saying.
“There is more work to be done by the members in developing their schedules of bilateral cricket while at the ICC we need to work through the detail of the manner in which these principles will be implemented.
“Extensive work will now be undertaken in advance of a follow-up board meeting next month.”
The current meeting ends today.
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