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
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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.
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.
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.
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 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 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