5 key points of contention between ICC and BCCI

The relationship between cricket’s apex governing body, the International Cricket Council, and perhaps its strongest member, the Board of Control for Cricket in India, has been getting strained of late. There was a time when the BCCI was often considered as the driving force behind the ICC. But things seem to have changed quite drastically over the past few months.

The situation has reached a stage where the president of the Indian cricket board, Anurag Thakur, is accusing the ICC of sidelining the BCCI. In recent times, there have been a number of issues due to which the two cricket administration powerhouses have been at loggerheads with each other.

Here are 5 key points of contention between the ICC and the BCCI:

---

1. The ICC World T20 - Champions Trophy budget debate

The BCCI recently pointed fingers at the ICC for allotting a steep budget to the England Cricket Board for hosting the Champions Trophy next year. The Indian board has claimed that the amount is almost three times more than what was allocated to them for organising the World T20 earlier this year.

According to them, the Champions Trophy is a much shorter tournament with just 15 matches whereas the T20 World Cup this year featured 58 matches including men’s and women’s fixtures. A few days later, though, ICC chief Shashank Manohar rubbished these claims as factually incorrect and confirmed that the budget for the 2016 World T20 was higher taking into account television production cost.

In response, BCCI president Anurag Thakur reiterated their concerns about the budget and pointed out the gulf between the two tournaments in terms of matches played, the number of venues and length.

2. Shashank Manohar’s cold shoulder to the BCCI

Shashank Manohar was elected unopposed as the ICC president in May this year

After a brief second tenure of about 8 months as BCCI chief, Shashank Manohar stepped down from the role in early May only to be named the first independent chairman of the International Cricket Council in a matter of 48 hours or so. Ever since he has assumed his new responsibility, Manohar has chosen to keep himself away from the Indian cricket board and its affairs and has openly stated in the media that the BCCI should look after its own interests.

This has not gone down too well with the current BCCI president, Anurag Thakur, who is blaming Shashank Manohar for abandoning the board when they needed him most. Thakur has also pointed out that the present chairman of the world cricket governing body did not take all members of the BCCI into confidence before making changes to the ICC constitution.

Moreover, with BCCI being one of the primary stakeholders in the ICC at the moment, Anurag Thakur feels that Manohar can ill afford to have nothing to do with them.

3. BCCI’s disapproval over pooled TV rights

BCCI has raised doubts over the introduction of a pooled TV rights system

In June this year, cricket boards from England, Australia and South Africa proposed the introduction of a system wherein television rights for a series will be sold by the hosts only in their own country. The international TV rights, however, would be placed in a common pool and other boards or broadcasters would be allowed an opportunity to purchase them.

While the England Cricket Board, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa have been pushing for this change to be introduced, the BCCI does not seem to be too impressed and has its concerns about the entire concept. The reason behind their reluctance is quite evidently the fact that such a system may have a huge impact on their present financial dominance in the cricketing world.

With BCCI not in favour of having pooled TV rights, the ICC is sure to have a tough time to set the ball rolling.

4. ICC’s refusal to help BCCI tackle Lodha Committee

BCCI had approached the ICC for help on the Lodha Committee recommendations

With the Supreme Court providing the primary Indian cricket governing body a 6-month deadline to implement the reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee, the BCCI reached out to the ICC seeking help on tackling the issue.

As revealed by ICC chief executive Dave Richardson, the board’s president Anurag Thakur had verbally requested them to send a letter to the BCCI asking to explain whether the Lodha Committee recommendations would amount to government interference in their affairs.

However, Shashank Manohar asserted that no such letter should be sent unless the BCCI sends a written request for ICC’s intervention in the matter. According to the ICC chief executive, Manohar was not willing to put the world cricketing body in a position of conflict with the Supreme Court of India.

Responding to Richardson’s comments, BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke said that Thakur just had an informal discussion and no request was made.

5. BCCI’s strong hand in the two-tier structure concept being scrapped

BCCI played a pivotal role in the proposed two-tier structure being shelved

In an attempt to revive Test cricket, the ICC had proposed a two-tier structure wherein there would be 7 teams in the top tier and 5 teams in the bottom tier. While poor performing top tier teams would stand the threat of being relegated, the top performers in the bottom tier would get to rub shoulders with the big boys of the longest format.

The proposal met with a positive response from most boards including the England Cricket Board, Cricket Australia, Cricket South Africa and the Pakistan Cricket Board among others. However, boards from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe voiced their disapproval about the innovation targeted at breathing a new life into Test cricket.

The opposition by these members received a major boost when the BCCI decided to put their weight behind them. This forced the ICC to reconsider the introduction of this concept and it was finally withdrawn during the council’s Chief Executives’ Committee meeting held a few days back in Dubai.