ICC wastes a gilt-edged opportunity

Richard Bevan: 'We are not happy ... and nor are players all around the world' © Getty Images

It is easy to forget, in these times of never-ending politicking, that cricket is a game that relies on cricketers for its well-being and popularity. Sadly the ICC, blinded by summit meetings and seminars on global expansion, appears to have forgotten this basic premise.

At present, there are three major issues clawing at the integrity of the game - Zimbabwe, match-fixing, and illegal deliveries - and in each and every instance, the buck has stopped as far from boardroom level as is hierarchically possible.

Would anyone in Sri Lanka really take an interest in Test matches, were it not for Muttiah Muralitharan's prolific wicket-taking? Would there have been any case for defending Zimbabwean cricket, had it not been for the defiance of Heath Streak and his clutch of over-achievers, who kept the team competitive in the face of overwhelming odds? And what about Maurice Odumbe, the face of Kenyan cricket and the winner of three World Cup match awards, who stands to lose everything after being accused of having links with bookmakers? These 17 individuals have done more to promote the game in their respective countries than any committee member ever could, but in each instance, oblivion is their likely reward.

As the little fish fry, the whoppers just keep wriggling off the hook. On Friday, and for the first time since the whole brouhaha blew up, the cricket world was virtually united in its condemnation of the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Australia had belatedly acknowledged how distasteful their tour was, and an ICC tele-conference, set for 12.30pm on the eve of the first Test, was almost certain to result in Zimbabwe's suspension. Instead, the ZCU snuck behind the ICC's backs and struck a deal with Cricket Australia to "defer" the Tests. The threat to their status had passed, and within the hour, the rebels had been sacked - probably never to return.

It was a state of affairs that infuriated Richard Bevan, the chief executive of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations, who accused Cricket Australia's chairman of undermining all the attempts to get the 15 players reinstated. "We are not happy with [the situation]," said Bevan, "and nor are players all around the world. People are thinking harder about maybe being riskier in what they have to do."

The possibility of a player boycott cannot be ruled out, especially in the wake of Ricky Ponting's comments in his syndicated column in The Australian. "There should be fewer nations playing better cricket," he said, a line of thought which runs contrary to the ICC's expansionist aims.

The discontent is spreading and the warning signs are loud and luminous. Whether the ICC cares to take note, however, is another matter entirely.

Two weeks ago, the ICC announced that it intended to expand its membership base to 100 countries by 2005, enthusing that "the passion of cricket can be seen in Samoa, Indonesia, beaches of Croatia, in war-ravaged Afghanistan and in villages of Papua New Guinea". That may be so, but without the backing of the world's elite players, it promises to be an utterly meaningless confederation.