ICC to vote on radical revamp plan on Saturday

Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa have refused to back the plan stating that it only makes the ‘Big Three’ more powerful.

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 ‘Big Three’ offer some lucrative tour assurances in bargain.

Dissent 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 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, it had its way in deciding the exclusive bilateral series agreements from 2015-2023.

The revamp plan focuses 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.

Decks cleared The decks were also cleared for 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 Ex-Co while the ECB representative will be head of the F&CA committee.

BCCI also had its 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 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.