Sourav Ganguly says Super Series is at a nascent stage. (TOI Photo)

MUMBAI: The proposal for a four-nation white-ball Super Series being talked about by the BCCI is nothing but a proposal for now. The proposal, in fact, is not so much about introducing a new series as much as it is about resisting the idea of one International Cricket Council ( ICC ) tournament every year that has been insistently proposed by the world body in recent months.

TOI has in the past reported about how the months of October and November make for a rare window in the international cricket calendar that are available for stakeholders to grab.

A day after BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reportedly spoke with the media in Kolkata and said that Australia, England, India and another top team will feature in the Super Series, which begins in 2021, he clarified to TOI on Monday that "nothing is confirmed yet" and therefore "nothing is concrete yet". Ganguly added that that "it will take a bit of time" because the idea is merely an idea as of now and nothing more.

The ICC, wary of the months occupied by the Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash, and the possible onset of The Hundred wants to grab the October-November window before the 'Big Three' stakes claim in any other way. It is to offset ICC's proposal - one that chairman Shashank Manohar intends to pull off by way of votes from other member nations outside the 'Big Three' - that the BCCI is busy talking about a possible 'Super Series' right now.

On their recent trip to London, to meet with officials of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Arun Dhumal discussed a host of issues, and one of which was to restrain the ICC from pushing for a six-team 50-over white-ball tournament. TOI had reported the same in October, soon after the ICC's board meeting.

"We support Sourav and BCCI, so will be helpful with all ideas and intentions. But this is more about focusing on the ICC-inspired scheduling, which is ludicrous," sources in the ECB told TOI.

As far as Cricket Australia (CA) is concerned, the BCCI hasn't even opened a dialogue with them yet. TOI has been given to understand that officials from CA will visit India early next year when the Australian team arrives here in January to play three ODIs. The first of the three ODIs is scheduled to be played in Mumbai around which a meeting is expected to be held between BCCI and CA.

TOI spoke to stakeholders in ECB as well as the CA and their grouse - which, in fact, is pushing them to collaborate with each other as well as the BCCI - is "the general mistrust of (the ICC's) intentions".

Just like the ECB says it would like to support the BCCI and will be helpful with all ideas and intentions, CA too is "ready" to extend the hand of renewed friendship towards India. "This is not about any Super Series. It has to do with how cricket has been run by the ICC and the disgraceful turn of events in recent times," say those in the know.

