ICC approves the proposed ICC revamp

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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SINGAPORE: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Saturday approved a wide-ranging and controversial resolution to change its governance, competition and financial models. The main points are as follows:

– New executive committee: A five-man executive committee with permanent seats for India, England and Australia will be introduced. The committee will make recommendations to the ICC board, which remains the decision-making body

– India’s Srinivasan to chair ICC board: N. Srinivasan, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, will become the ICC board chairman from July 2014

– New financial model: Full members gain greater financial recognition based on their contributions in terms of finance, their ICC history and on-field performances

– Test Cricket Fund: A Test Cricket Fund will be introduced to guarantee all 10 Test-playing nations will be in position to host a home series through to 2023

– Future Tours Programme: Members will strike binding, bilateral agreements “as a matter of urgency” with the aim of extending the programme until 2023

– World Test Championship axed: The Champions Trophy one-day tournament will continue in 2017 and 2021, replacing plans for a World Test Championship

– Pathway to Test cricket: The winner of the next ICC Intercontinental Cup will play-off against the bottom-ranked full member with the prize of gaining Test status. The existing full member will retain Test status.

1- With BCCI, ECB and CA having permanent member status at the executive committee , ICC will be nothing but a spokesperson to whatever these three propose. So, stating ICC as the decision making body is as fictitious as Harry Potter.

2-  Even when he did not hold that office, N Srinivasan decided what ICC should and should not be doing. Hence, the announcement of N Srinivasan becoming the ICC President since July 2014 is more a formality than anything else.

3- The third point of the 7 point agenda is well put to suggest that BCCI (financial contribution to ICC) and ECB and CA (ICC history and on field performance) fill their pockets even more. 

4- To be fair to the big three, Test Cricket Fund is a good idea. But if the Test fund is taken out of the gross revune of the ICC that leaves a smaller share that will be divided amongst the cricketing nations. 

5- The majority of the top cricket playing nations would prefer playing against another top playing nation in a bilateral series. So, as rosy the binding bilateral agreement clause may sound, it may sideline the minnows with no top Test team willing to play against them. 

6- To be honest, the World Test Championship idea seemed outrageous since the first time it was proposed. So, it is a good move to scrap it. 

7- The pathway to Test cricket is a definite incentive for the teams that are involved in the Intercontinental Cup with the winner getting a chance to gain the Test team status. 

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