The Int'l Cricket Council "has drafted a plan which would see greater control of world cricket given to the governing bodies of England, Australia and India," according to the SUNDAY TIMES. A 21-page "position paper" sent to full members will be discussed at the ICC's exec board meeting on Jan. 28-29. The key proposal is the formation of a four-man exec committee, on which the England and Wales Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India "would all be guaranteed a place." The other position "would be selected by the three boards annually." The powers of that exec committee "would supersede" those of the ICC's exec board (SUNDAY TIMES, 1/19). In London, Andy Wilson wrote this may be interpreted as a power grab, although the draft argues that it merely recognizes the existing reality -- that England, Australia and India are "the primary revenue contributing members" of the ICC -- and "structurally commits [them] to the leadership and continued success of the ICC as a member-led, member-driven organisation." ECB Chair Giles Clarke "was noncommittal." Clarke: "There's not much I can say about a draft. We get through a lot of those" (GUARDIAN, 1/18).
CHANGING FINANCES: In Sydney, Peter Lalor wrote the other key element of the proposal "is a move to change the financial distribution with the big three in line to receive a bigger share of funds generated by ICC events, which are now distributed equally." India will now receive about 20% of all revenue, England between 4-5% and Australia 2-3% "but nobody will receive less than they did in the last cycle" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 1/20). In Abu Dhabi, Osman Samiuddin wrote if gross revenues will be distributed in unequal shares, the remaining surplus "might be reduced." In particular, associates and affiliates could be hit hard: not only could that 25% be lower, the report also said that "just the top six associate nations receive half of that share and the vast members beyond them the paltry rest" (THE NATIONAL, 1/19).
NEW HOME FOR ICC: In London, Wilson reported in a separate piece Cardiff, Colombo, Sri Lanka and Singapore are "three contenders" to replace Dubai as the administrative base of the ICC. That is "one of the more unlikely and intriguing proposals" in the leaked working paper of the ICC's financial and commercial affairs committee (GUARDIAN, 1/19).
