The Int'l Cricket Council "passed a wide-ranging and controversial shake-up of its governance and structure despite strident protests that it gives too much power to India, England and Australia," according to the LONDON TIMES. The "dominant trio are the big winners after the proposals were approved by the necessary eight out of ten full members at a hastily convened board meeting in Singapore." Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa "had all opposed the revamp when it was debated last month," but Cricket South Africa President Chris Nenzani voted in favor at Saturday’s meeting. Sri Lanka and Pakistan abstained. Pakistan Cricket Board Chair Zaka Ashraf said, "I think South Africa cheated us. Just last night they told us that they have changed their stance and told us that it was the decision of their board [CSA]. It disappointed us" (LONDON TIMES, 2/8). The PA reported the Board of Control for Cricket in India, England & Wales Cricket Board and Cricket Australia have been guaranteed three of the five seats on a new exec committee "that will carry considerable influence, and three of the five on a revamped financial sub-committee." The sense of an exec stranglehold by the boards who helped author these changes is emphasized by the fact that BCCI President N. Srinivasan "will become the new chair of the ICC board," with CA's Wally Edwards chairing the ExCo and ECB Chair Giles Clark continuing to do so for the financial committee (PA, 2/8). REUTERS reported the proposals "had invited widespread criticism with some suggesting that the 'Big Three,' who will get a major share of the revenue, will take over the sport at the expense of the other cricketing nations." The financial restructuring "will see India, cricket's biggest fund generator, as well as England and Australia pocketing greater share of the ICC revenue" (REUTERS, 2/8). In Mumbai, Vijay Tagore wrote meanwhile, "it was all hunky dory in the board room." After "all the hulla-baloo over so-called opposition to the India-driven position paper, the ICC witnessed a relative calm." The controversial reforms that were authored by the BCCI, ECB and CA "were passed without any resistance" (MUMBAI MIRROR, 2/9).
SMALL PROTESTS: The AFP reported former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales Harry Woolf, whose review of the ICC's governance recommended a watering down of the big countries' powers, called it ''a really alarming position for the future of cricket." Woolf: ''I don't see how if we had this to consider, we could see it as anything but a retrograde step" (AFP, 2/9). In London, Simon Wilde wrote "the voices of protest amounted to very little" when the ICC's execs met in Singapore. South Africa switched sides of the floor, "leaving only Sri Lanka and Pakistan among full members to abstain." The first test of the new world order "will come with the size of the deal covering broadcasting and media rights to global events" from '15-23, negotiations for which will start shortly. These will be led by Clarke, "who was elected chairman of the finance and commercial affairs committee." With the big three acting as hosts to almost all major events during this eight-year period, the belief is that "broadcasters and sponsors will be willing to pay handsomely." On the back of a bigger deal, so the argument goes, everyone’s bank balance should benefit -- "even if those of England, India and Australia will swell the most" (SUNDAY TIMES, 2/9).
