BCCI opt not to invite ICC for India's 500th Test

The BCCI and ICC are at an impasse right now, with relations having strained after BCCI’s opposition to the two-tier Test system that ICC is looking to promote. At an ICC meeting in Dubai, BCCI vehemently opposed the proposed system, stating that it is against the interest of the smaller nations.

In the aftermath of the ICC meetings, things have started to get ugly between the BCCI and the ICC. India is scheduled to play its 500^th Test match in Kanpur on the 22^nd of September against New Zealand, the first of a three-match Test series.

Read: Anurag Thakur slams Shashank Manohar

BCCI are keen to celebrate the ocassion and a number of the top officials of the board will be present there. The event is to be organised by IPL and Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association chairman Rajeev Shukla, while BCCI is said to be the ‘facilatator’ there.

However, ICC will not have any representation there as neither two-time BCCI top-man Shashank Manohar or ICC chairman Dave Richardson are said to be invited. It’s a clear statement of intent from the BCCI after the meeting.

The BCCI is said to have two primary problems with the ICC at present. While they are opposed to the two-tier structure, they also feel hard done by ICC’s efforts to reduce BCCI’s share in the existing revenue structure. Currently, BCCI accounts for about 70% of ICC’s revenue, and do not intend to give anything away.

The major takeaway from the ICC meeting was that Shashank Manohar decided to do away with the existing revenue structure that provided the big 3 – England, Australia and India, a major chunk of the revenue.

Matters became worse as reports emerged that the budget for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England is thrice the budget that was alloted for the World T20 held in 2016.

Cricket Australia, England Cricket Board and Cricket South Africa are said to pool their overseas broadcasting rights into a separate pool, which will have a huge effect on the existing structure.

Certainly relations are at an all-time low between the ICC and the BCCI right now and that cannot bode well for the game in general. One can only hope that the issue is resolved soon.