The BCCI is said to be quite worried about the latest step the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the Champions Trophy scheduled to be played next year in England and Wales. As per the reports, the ICC has allotted a sum of $135m to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), while the BCCI was allotted only $45 for the World T20 which was hosted by India earlier this year.
The Champions Trophy was last played in 2013 in England as well. India were the eventual winners after a hard-fought final match against the hosts in a rain-curtailed match. It was previously informed that the 2013-edition would be the last of the coveted tournament and would be replaced by the ICC World Test Championship in 2017. But later the idea was opposed and the Champions Trophy was scheduled in 2017 while the Test Championship was scrapped off.
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As per the reports of The Times of India, BCCI President Anurag Thakur admitted they have sent queries about the matter to the governing body. He said, "We have certain concerns and we have sent queries to the ICC because the money that will be spent on the event will go from everyone's pockets. I'm sure the ICC will understand this. As a cricketing nation, India would like to play its role as a global leader."
The T20 World Cup held in India featured more teams and was spread across more days compared to the showpiece event scheduled in 2017. The qualifying rounds were also hosted by India with a total of seven stadiums used for the tournament. Another striking fact is that BCCI in spite of being the richest member of the Cricket affiliated nations is deprived of the privilege of having a representation in ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee, which decides on the budgets.
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"The BCCI is responsible for 80% of ICC's revenue and it does not get a representation in these committees. It clearly looks like the ICC is trying to cut the hand that is feeding them," quoted a BCCI official.
Meanwhile, the ICC feels that the budget allocation was done in a very full-proof process, which includes circulation among its members and taking a unanimous decision. The ICC stated, "Like all ICC events, the event host produces a draft budget based on the delivery of a high-quality event in that market. This budget is then circulated to the Members before being formally discussed and approved by the ICC Board during the ICC Annual Conference."
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