BCCI and other boards want ICC Test Championship and ODI League scrapped

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as well as other leading members of the ICC - Cricket Australia (CA) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) - have made a written request to call off the ongoing ICC Test Championship and proposed ODI League.

In addition to the above plea, the ECB also wants the draft of the Future Tours Programme (FTP) to be revisited. A report by The Times of India (TOI) threw some light over these decisions that were taken in ICC's Board meeting held via teleconference in early March.

A leading administrator told TOI:

“This is an ongoing discussion right now. There’s absolutely no leadership coming out of the ICC whatsoever.”

Team India was one of the favorites to win the inaugural edition of ICC World Test Championship

The Indian team is currently sitting at the top of the ICC Test Championship points table. Despite their recent reverse in the Test series against New Zealand, Team India are considered among the favorites to make it through to the finals at Lord's in June 2021.

Discussions with sources that were tracking developments revealed questions over the creation of more official multi-national tournaments. The sources feared that the new ICC events could eventually take a toll on the bilateral series across the globe.

"What the ICC is trying to do is propose and schedule more official tournaments, which will do nothing but eat into the bilateral .. windows of its own member boards. No member board that is potentially sitting on a healthy media rights deal will agree to this."

BCCI and other leading members cite huge losses

BCCI has indefinitely postponed IPL 2020

Reports of the apex body of the game, ICC, wanting to create more flagship tournaments each year haven't been taken well by the various boards. They have cited their reservations regarding the same, which according to them will only pile on their losses.

The ICC Test Championship has been hit hard by the pandemic threat, halting all cricketing events across the world. The proposed ODI league, scheduled for May next year, has also been affected.

BCCI called off the ODI series against South Africa last month. Other countries like Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and England also had to cancel their ongoing series in the wake of the deadly virus.

Recently, BCCI also indefinitely postponed IPL 2020, which was rescheduled to start on April 15.