BCCI VS ICC

BCCI gives thumbs down to World Test Championship

by K Shriniwas Rao • Published on

ICC's proposed nine-plus-three structure to have a four-year Test cricket cycle with a cutoff date for qualification was scheduled to begin in 2019. © Getty

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has once again trained its guns on the International Cricket Council (ICC), dismissing the latter's effort to call for a working group meeting to discuss the proposed World Test Championship structure.

In calling ICC's "bluff " at arranging a two-day meeting to discuss the bilateral cycle, the Indian cricket board's current administration has categorically ruled out agreeing to any of the governing body's criterion suggesting changes to the Test calendar.

ICC's proposed nine-plus-three structure to have a four-year Test cricket cycle with a cutoff date for qualification was scheduled to begin in 2019.

"How can a nine-plus-three structure be proposed in the first place when the ICC Board is yet to ratify Ireland and Afghanistan's full membership status? They (certain ICC board members) are just trying to test the waters and gauge the mood of members. In the process, they're still thinking that a "weak" BCCI may not resist," an official in the know of things told TOI.

While dismissing the significance of this two-day working group meeting, the Indian board is also confident that when the time comes for the ICC's Chief Executive Meeting (CEC) to be called for in April, the BCCI will have enough strength to counter the proposed policies of the governing body through a vote count.

During the ICC's Board meeting in October, the BCCI had firmly opposed the proposed two-tier Test structure, an idea that had to be eventually scrapped by the governing body. In its aftermath, the "wisdom" of a select few individuals then sought a way forward through a Test championship structure that had been on the back-burner.

The BCCI, for the record, played the role of a mute spectator to a 7-2 in-principle vote that was called for by ICC's independent chairman Shashank Manohar in February this year, seeking a go-ahead to the flurry of changes being sought in the ICC's finance and governance model. The BCCI was represented by SC-appointed administrator Vikram Limaye, whose foray into cricket administration was just one day old. Sri Lanka was the only ICC member that voted in India's favour, Zimbabwe refrained from voting while the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) opted to side with Manohar's proposal.

"That will not continue to be the case going forward," a BCCI official said, refusing to go into any further details for now.

The ICC's proposed revenue restructuring was based on many factors, one of which included addition of two new ICC World T20s in the existing eight-year financial cycle. However, it is reliably learnt that the parent body's global broadcaster refused to offer the existing contractual value to the newly proposed tournaments, thereby forcing the member boards of the ICC to rethink their strategy .

For the first time in close to a month - ever since questions were raised about BCCI possibly losing ground at the ICC in the wake of an interim administration - the Indian board decided to make its stand very clear. "What sense does it make to talk right now. We will act when the time comes. Right now, I'd say , wait and watch". While that happens, it is very clear that the ICC's proposed Test Championship structure is not moving ahead for now.

© TNN