FICA threats misguided - ICC

The leadership of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) should be trying to understand why so many countries are so opposed to it rather than making threats against international cricket, said ICC's chief executive, Malcolm Speed, today.

"Rather than issuing threats against international cricket, FICA's leadership should be taking a step back and trying to understand why so many of the boards around the world are so vehemently opposed to it.

"The reality is that despite repeated recommendations from ICC management a majority of cricket boards around the world simply do not accept that FICA should be recognised.

"ICC management has argued on many occasions during the past two years in favour of recognising FICA but, if anything, support for it has gone backwards amongst the countries since this issue was last considered in Sri Lanka last October.

"Tim May in Australia and Richard Bevan in England operate from countries where player/board relationships are well-established and mature, but when you listen to the people running cricket in South Africa or Sri Lanka or West Indies - all countries with player associations affiliated with FICA- you realise that there are serious issues at this level.

"FICA's stated objective is to work with local governing bodies, but it is apparent that it is not doing this effectively.

"If FICA's leaders believe that recognition by all boards at the ICC is needed to advance the cause of players, they need to ask themselves why countries with FICA-affiliated player associations are blocking this move.

"Why in countries where player associations exist have the player-association leadership failed to show that there is a contribution that can also be made at the ICC level?

"Why is it that there is so much distrust between the players and management in so many countries where there are player associations? FICA needs to understand and answer these questions.

"Clumsy attempts to threaten or undermine all countries instead of working with the countries which are currently opposed to it will only succeed in alienating all countries and set its cause back even further."

Following concerns about the lack of representation of players in the administration of the game ICC management has over the past two years introduced several initiatives to increase player representation in the administration of the sport.

Each year the ICC arranges and funds a meeting of the ten Test-playing captains to meet and discuss issues in world cricket.

Last year's meeting led directly to the introduction of the ICC Guidelines relating to the amount of cricket to be played each year.

The ICC has also overhauled the structure of one of its key committees, Cricket Committee - Playing (CC-P), to provide equal representation between Board and Player Representatives.

This committee deals with all on-field issues, including playing conditions. It is made up of five nominees from the Full Member Boards and five Player nominees.

CC-P most recently recommended the trial of markings on the pitch in practice and domestic cricket and of earpieces connected to the stump microphones for umpires to assist with umpiring decisions, as announced by the ICC last week.

In the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2002 and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, ICC management and FICA's leadership were able to work constructively together to find a pragmatic solution to the contract difficulties that arose before these tournaments.

Mr Speed added that he would expect this progress to have been noted by FICA's leadership.

"I would expect that FICA's leadership would also recognise the advances that have been made over the past two years in providing players with a more direct voice in the administration of the game.

"The Captains' Meeting, the restructuring of Cricket Committee - Playing and the pragmatic solutions that resolved concerns ahead of the key ICC events are clear examples of the progress that is being made in ensuring the players views are represented within the ICC."

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