The Board of Control for Cricket in India "unanimously approved the draft proposal" of the Int'l Cricket Council Commercial Rights Working Group at the emergent working committee meeting on Thursday, according to THE HINDU. The proposal "was aimed at apportioning" the bulk of the ICC's exec decision-making powers among the BCCI, Cricket Australia, and the England & Wales Cricket Board. The outcome "was on predictable lines with the BCCI being one of the key stakeholders of the proposal." The chief implication of the proposals being ratified is that the BCCI, CA, and ECB "will receive a bigger percentage of the ICC’s earnings following a change in the revenue-distribution model." Under this, "the contribution of individual member countries to ICC's revenue will directly impact their earnings" (THE HINDU, 1/23). AL JAZEERA reported the BCCI "has virtually ruled out" taking part in future ICC events if the proposal relating to the makeover of the ruling body is not approved. The BCCI confirmed that the proposal had been approved within the Indian board and that its office bearers were authorized "to enter into agreements with the ICC for participating in the ICC events and hosting ICC events, subject to the proposal being approved by the ICC board" (AL JAZEERA, 1/23).
MIXED REACTIONS: ESPN reported the BCCI working committee "was insistent on not yielding ground" on the matter of revenue distribution. The proposal recommends a maximum allotment of 21% of the ICC's revenues to the BCCI "on the grounds that Indian cricket helps generate 80% of ICC's global revenues." The draft proposal, when handed out to the Full Member nations at a specially called board meeting in Dubai on January 9, "did not however contain any supporting documentation for its current revenue distribution percentages or future estimates." Cricket South Africa "is the only board to have publicly opposed the proposal," and the Pakistan Cricket Board has made its opposition privately known. CSA argued the idea was "fundamentally flawed," while New Zealand Cricket said that "it was wrong to jump to the conclusion that the proposal would be bad for cricket" (ESPN, 1/23). IANS reported the West Indies Cricket Board "has adopted a position on a draft proposal" during a two-day emergency meeting. However, a spokesperson said that "the WICB position would not be made public until it is articulated before the quarterly meeting" of the ICC in Dubai from Tuesday-Wednesday (IANS, 1/23). The PTI reported former CSA CEO Jacques Faul said that CSA CEO Haroon Lorgat "is the best person to lead the country's fight against the planned structural overhaul." After CSA President Chris Nenzani objected to the ICC plans which would put control of world cricket into the hands of India, England,and Australia, Faul told the Afrikaans daily Beeld, "This matter must be fought with everything at our disposal." Faul "is currently CEO of the provincial franchise side Titans." Faul: "You can probably still accept the notion that these three countries generate the biggest revenue in world cricket, but as regards decision-making over the game, everybody must have an equal opportunity and you can't have just three countries deciding as it suits them" (PTI, 1/23). In Sydney, Chris Barrett wrote India will reportedly push to host ICC events such as the World Cup, World Twenty20 and Champions Trophy "once every three years." According to reports coming out of the subcontinent, BCCI President N. Srinivasan "is expected to ask that India host an ICC event once every three years." Given that the World Cup is held every four years and the World T20 every two years, "it would be an extraordinary request, although the Champions Trophy is likely to stay after earlier plans to scrap it for a World Test Championship" (SMH, 1/23).
