According to an Indian cricket boss, India had a contemplation of forming a separate cricket governing body if the ICC refused to abide by their claims and demand for a larger share of the revenue from cricket earnings.
The reason is: India earns and contributes the largest sum to the ICC fund, and gets only peanuts. So the BCCI thought to make amends to ICC regulations and ask for bigger gains. The cricket bosses thought they have the potency (if not the judgment) to strike a bargain and come out victorious.
They took Team Australia and the English Cricket Board along with it. They formed the trio calling themselves Big Three. The essence is to get a bigger share of revenue. Although the idea is self-destructive, to them it appears right.
The reason India and Australia put themselves in the same bracket is somewhat understandable, India now being the richest, and Australia a well-rounded team. Why should England be in the same rank, is inexplicable.
How far is the step right and reasonable? For simple reason, it is not right. India was never a force to reckon with. Not at least with its cricket. It came to the limelight once by its fluke win over the West Indies in 1983 ODI World Cup. Throughout it’s more than 6o year history, it never was a team to gossip about. It has still got the tag of “losers overseas.” They have been losing overseas matches most humiliatingly.
Indian cricket roars, with full backing of its media and loud commentators, only when playing at home. If you watch closely, the BCCI and the media have been the main agents to raise the hype for cricket and the cricketers. The star is born even before he makes it to the national team. Most fade away sooner than later.
Of late, the IPL money has added to the power of the BCCI. We all know that the IPL was robbed from the ICL earlier introduced by Kapil Dev and others.
Don’t forget, if BCCI is rich today, it is not due to Indian sweat or performance. It is because of the international participation in the tournaments arranged by India, in India. It is the corporate money that attracts the foreign players and they in fact inject the extra life in these contests. BCCI got greedier day by day.
Drive away the foreign players, and then see how the BCCI and its events run – it will come to a grinding halt. BCCI authorities have long been involved in politics. The governing body members have come under severe criticism and acts of controversy many a time. Even the next ICC boss, the very Indian, Srinivasan has to be cleared by the court before he takes his seat as the chair of the ICC.
The dissection in the ICC team ranks was tacitly accepted by the members. I was wondering what prompted other teams and their boards to accept the terms lying down. We know from reports that Pakistan raised its voice against the move, but later had to give in. What led the others to cower down?
The cricket bosses of other member countries did not dare to stand up and announce the incongruity, even if they did not approve of the plan from their hearts. In principle they are still against it, you bet.
If India could threaten to create another cricket governing body, why can’t the rest of the members of the ICC walk out and form a World Cricket Council (WCC)?
World boxing has three separate bodies for boxing, World Boxing Federation (WBF), World Boxing Association (WBA), and World Boxing Council (WBC). Each of them are holding their identities and running according to their rules. Each is awarding titles to their contenders at various categories.
Similarly, cricket also has the right to get a newer and more effective body for smooth operation of the game. However, things will not be the same with cricket as with the boxing bodies, as the new organisation is likely to be a huge congregation of members compared to the current ICC with dictatorship of India and two others in force.
So a new body for cricket would be most welcome.
It’s easy, it’s simple.
How? It goes like this, subtracting India, Australia, and England, the rest would form the new body. Every cricketing nation will be immediately absorbed as full members of the WCC.
There are at least 40 to 50 nations playing cricket. They will become members by paying a certain amount of fees. The HQs will be anywhere in UAE or Europe or Southeast Asia.
With a strong 50 (or even more) member council, the WCC will have a tough governing body from the top cricketing nations like Sri Lanka, West Indies, South Africa, Pakistan and even more.
Look at the prospects – teams from USA, UAE, Afghanistan, USA, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Fiji, African countries, Ireland, Scotland and other European states and the Caribbean islands will make a huge figure of members. The membership will far outnumber the current ICC list.
The UAE, the USA and many affluent European countries will make the WCC richer than the BCCI and its two friends. So, there should not be any reason of doubt over the donation and availability of funds. Rather WCC will be wealthier and they will be able to systematise more tournaments, matches and bilateral series between members more effectively with additional returns and revenue.
The world will be successfully abuzz with new cricket bonanza. The game will be expanded across the globe. We shall have more venues and added crowds enjoying the game, more people and governments involved in this.
We expect to get almost the same amount of excitement and heat as we now generate from football throughout the world.
The media will find its hub and pit of revenue here. They will squabble for rights to broadcast and telecast the events by WCC.
What would be the fallout? It will be something like this – all the teams will be benefitted. Smaller teams will get a bigger access to the world of cricket and competition will turn fierce. It will unfasten the gates of gushing geniuses. There will be more faculties (players, organisers, sponsors) available from these countries, which are rich by all other means!
Even the donations that will pour in from the member countries and private sponsors will be enormous! I believe that the WCC should be the richest body, if run appropriately. There should not be any politics or big brothers (match fixers) in the body. The election system should be worked out in thorough detail before embarking on this. The constitution ought to be revised minutely and considered by all members before final approval!
What about the current big three? These “biggies” will soon be dwarfed. Because they will be left to play only among themselves! Imagine the scenario. The bilateral series will be played only in venues at India, England and Australia, the ODIs and T20s will be contested only among the three.
How long will the boards be able to pull crowds? How long will the tickets sell? What about the world championships? Only three teams will be left to compete under the ICC banner! How long will the three member team body exist?
The fate is simple. Within a year or two the whole of ICC and the teams will dry out and cease to be of any purpose. Players of the three teams will then opt for transporting themselves to those countries (WCC members) to make themselves available for cricket! And the BCCI and its partners (the trio) will have to lay off officers, panel of umpires, other staff and technical hands until it will lock the main office and walk away to find some other job. They may even apply for newer positions in the WCC!
It is time we think of the WCC very seriously. I call upon the stronger economies and successful cricketing nations to sit together and start working on the new organisation, WCC.
Cricket should be given a chance to thrive and survive. We have plenty of talent scattered around the globe. Give them a chance and see what they make of the opportunity! They will indeed illuminate the game with more power and talent and make it more ornamental. Who knows we might stumble upon more genius than we have seen up until now. Make the game global in the true sense of the term!
The divisive minds of the so-called big ones are nothing but a senseless step to divide the sport and reap short term benefits!
Sport or for that matter cricket is now on a higher plane than before.
The spoilt minds have failed to behold that.