Cricket at the crossroads
This weekend's meeting of the ICC executive in Mumbai is likely to be one of the most important - and possibly rancorous - in its 97-year existence. It could also change the ground rules for the way the game is governed
Martin Williamson
02-Nov-2006
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In one corner is the ICC itself, in the other the Indian board. The two have been at each other's throats - in the veiled language of the diplomatic world - ever since Jagmohan Dalmiya's downfall in September 2005. Of late, however, the gloves have come off and the Indians have adopted an increasingly belligerent approach.
Last week, IS Bindra, who represents India on the executive, said that the ICC "may have made itself impotent and irrelevant". It is an open secret that Bindra and Malcolm Speed, the ICC's chief executive, hardly saw eye to eye before those comments. That relationship is unlikely to have thawed in recent weeks.
Lalit Modi's comments in the last fortnight will not have helped either. Increasingly, it appears as if he is being used as a tactical loose canon, allowed the freedom to fire off in every direction to make the core of the BCCI itself look far more reasonable. Bindra himself has acknowledged the "excessive zeal and volatility [Modi] occasionally exhibits when the other side is refusing to see reason". Modi, however, will not be at the meeting and his comments will have little relevance.
But the reality is that the ICC is now on the back foot. The Indian board is now using the clout that their financial muscle gives it and has established enough reliable support among other members of the executive to enable it to challenge and dictate the direction that the ICC is taking.
The Indian board has chosen the ground it wants to fight on - the Members Participation Agreement (MPA), which deals with advertising during ICC events, and the global marketing rights for 2007 to 2015 which are up for grabs.
MPA
The BCCI won't sign, claiming that it infringes the rights of the member board and their players (not something that it has seemed bothered about in the past) while the ICC seethes that despite being sent the agreement months ago, the BCCI only raised its concerns in the days before the deadline for signing expired. Without the agreement the ICC could refuse to allow the Indians to participate in the World Cup - clearly that's not an option - but were they to allow them to participate without signing then no other country could be held to it. Expect a fudged compromise with both sides claiming that the other climbed down.
The BCCI won't sign, claiming that it infringes the rights of the member board and their players (not something that it has seemed bothered about in the past) while the ICC seethes that despite being sent the agreement months ago, the BCCI only raised its concerns in the days before the deadline for signing expired. Without the agreement the ICC could refuse to allow the Indians to participate in the World Cup - clearly that's not an option - but were they to allow them to participate without signing then no other country could be held to it. Expect a fudged compromise with both sides claiming that the other climbed down.
Global marketing rights
This is where the battle will be fought as these rights are worth more than a billion dollars. As things stand, the BCCI cannot tender for the eight-year deal to market all ICC events, but that obstacle will be removed if the ICC's own commercial arm - ICC Development International - votes to remove its own bar on member countries bidding. That is likely, which will leave the BCCI free to submit a bid. The existing holders, Global Cricket Corporation, and Zee TV are also believed to be interested. Victory here would give the Indian board massive commercial and political clout - it would give them the chance to cement their financial grip on the game as it could possibly earn massive sums, and so shape the way the game develops.
This is where the battle will be fought as these rights are worth more than a billion dollars. As things stand, the BCCI cannot tender for the eight-year deal to market all ICC events, but that obstacle will be removed if the ICC's own commercial arm - ICC Development International - votes to remove its own bar on member countries bidding. That is likely, which will leave the BCCI free to submit a bid. The existing holders, Global Cricket Corporation, and Zee TV are also believed to be interested. Victory here would give the Indian board massive commercial and political clout - it would give them the chance to cement their financial grip on the game as it could possibly earn massive sums, and so shape the way the game develops.
Champions Trophy
Cynics point out that the leading countries could make far more from hosting their own ODI tournament than they do from the Champions Trophy. Those same cynics might also claim that the recent paltry crowds and substandard pitches (which have still led to some good games) work in India 's interest and back their claims that the event is not worthwhile. However, if the BCCI wins the global marketing rights, then the Champions Trophy is here to stay as it is a real cash cow for whoever owns those rights. If it doesn't, then the BCCI is likely to make sure that it is unlikely to happen again - at least in its current format.
Cynics point out that the leading countries could make far more from hosting their own ODI tournament than they do from the Champions Trophy. Those same cynics might also claim that the recent paltry crowds and substandard pitches (which have still led to some good games) work in India 's interest and back their claims that the event is not worthwhile. However, if the BCCI wins the global marketing rights, then the Champions Trophy is here to stay as it is a real cash cow for whoever owns those rights. If it doesn't, then the BCCI is likely to make sure that it is unlikely to happen again - at least in its current format.
Zimbabwe
Speed and Percy Sonn visited Zimbabwe in July on a fact-finding mission and their report is due to be submitted here. It is widely expected to give the Zimbabwe board a clean bill of health and to dismiss those opposing the Peter Chingoka regime as no more than disgruntled and bitter has-beens. Issues such as the flawed proposed constitution and continuing claims of financial mismanagement will again be brushed aside. Given Sonn's close links with Chingoka, few expected anything else. Zimbabwe will be formally welcomed back into the Test fold from November 2007.
Speed and Percy Sonn visited Zimbabwe in July on a fact-finding mission and their report is due to be submitted here. It is widely expected to give the Zimbabwe board a clean bill of health and to dismiss those opposing the Peter Chingoka regime as no more than disgruntled and bitter has-beens. Issues such as the flawed proposed constitution and continuing claims of financial mismanagement will again be brushed aside. Given Sonn's close links with Chingoka, few expected anything else. Zimbabwe will be formally welcomed back into the Test fold from November 2007.
The Oval compensation
The English board are out of pocket but Pakistan won't pay, insisting that the ICC employed the umpires for the fourth Test at The Oval, and it was the umpires' fault the game was abandoned. The ICC cannot agree to this as it would open the floodgates, so this will be quietly passed to its own Disputes Committee. Expect a further impasse on the subject. The future of Darrell Hair is likely to be discussed, although there will be no formal announcement to that effect.
The English board are out of pocket but Pakistan won't pay, insisting that the ICC employed the umpires for the fourth Test at The Oval, and it was the umpires' fault the game was abandoned. The ICC cannot agree to this as it would open the floodgates, so this will be quietly passed to its own Disputes Committee. Expect a further impasse on the subject. The future of Darrell Hair is likely to be discussed, although there will be no formal announcement to that effect.
Drugs
The ICC has not emerged from the recent incident involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif with credit. It has been accused of not doing enough and of not doing it efficiently. But the onus remains largely with the boards, and interestingly India has yet to sign up to the WADA agreement. The end result will be much rhetoric and several indicatives, and the players will be bombarded with even more leaflets warning of what they can and cannot do.
The ICC has not emerged from the recent incident involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif with credit. It has been accused of not doing enough and of not doing it efficiently. But the onus remains largely with the boards, and interestingly India has yet to sign up to the WADA agreement. The end result will be much rhetoric and several indicatives, and the players will be bombarded with even more leaflets warning of what they can and cannot do.
Martin WIlliamson is managing editor of Cricinfo