“UNANIMOUSLY AGREED” SAYS ICC, “NEED FURTHER DISCUSSION” SAYS SLC

Mixed signals about controversial ICC position paper which would change world cricket

SLC representative Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa (President) informed the ICC the need for further discussions on the matter pertaining to the revised position papers with the Executive Committee prior to arriving at a decision in this regard Plans to bolster the position of the 'Big Three' within ICC include the formation of a new five-man executive committee, with three seats reserved for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA)

Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) issued a media statement on Tuesday stating that they have not agreed to a revised position paper presented to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Executive Board meeting and asked time to get the views of SLC before taking a final decision.

“At the meeting, revised position papers were forwarded taking in to deliberation the concerns faced by the member nations, for the consideration of ICC as opposed to the original position paper circulated among the full member nations” stated the media release issued by SLC head of Media Vajira Dassanayake.

“SLC representative Mr. Jayantha Dharmadasa (President) informed the ICC of the need for further discussions on the matter pertaining to the revised position papers with the Executive Committee prior to arriving at a decision in this regard” it added.

SLC has called for an emergency Executive committee meeting on January 31 to disucuss the latest developments on the ICC position paper which is designed to hand over controlling powers and financial strength to the three cricket boards of India, England and Australia.

However ICC issued a media release giving a completely different picture of the issue saying that the members gave “unanimous support” for “principles” to change its structure and governance of ICC.

“The first day of the International Cricket Council's Board meetings concluded in Dubai today with unanimous support for a set of principles relating to the future structure, governance and financial models of the ICC” said the ICC release.

However, apart from SLC, the cricket boards of Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh have also issued media releases that showed similar positions to that of Sri Lanka.

Cricket South Africa’s president Chris Nenzani said their backing in Dubai would need endorsement from his own board.

“Our position will be subject to full consideration by our Board and other stakeholders.”

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf has said that the boards of Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are in opposition to the revamp of administrative and financial structures of the ICC hinting that the four countries have formed an alliance against the plans of the ICC’s big three members India, England and Australia. "Bangladesh, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka, we all have one stance. Let us see what we vote inside. We will stick to our stance" said Ashraf.

The ICC release went on to claim that all members “Unanimously agreed” on several specified points. They were, There will be an opportunity for all Members to play all formats of cricket on merit, with participation based on meritocracy; no immunity to any country, and no change to membership status. A Test Cricket Fund paid equally on an annual basis to all Full Members (except the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board) will be introduced to encourage and support Test match cricket. A larger percentage from the increasing Associate Members’ surplus will be distributed to the higher performing non-Full Members. Mutually agreed bi-lateral FTP Agreements which would be legally binding and bankable and will run for the same period as the ICC commercial rights cycle (2015-2023). Recognition of the need for strong leadership of the ICC, involving leading Members, which will involve BCCI taking a central leadership responsibility. A need to recognise the varying contributions of Full Members to the value of ICC events through the payment of ‘contribution costs’. The establishment of an Executive Committee (ExCo) and Financial & Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) to provide leadership at an operational level, with five members, including BCCI, CA and ECB representatives. Anybody from within the Board can be elected to Chair the Board and anybody from within ExCo and F&CA can be elected to Chair those Committees. With the ICC undergoing a transitional period that includes a new governance structure and media rights cycle, this leadership will be provided for two years from June 2014 by: a BCCI representative to Chair the ICC Board, a CA representative to Chair the ExCo and an ECB representative to Chair the F&CA. A new company will be incorporated to tender future commercial rights for ICC events. There will be three major ICC events in each four-year cycle, including the ICC Champions Trophy which will replace the ICC World Test Championship. ICC will utilise a more efficient operating model for all ICC events, with a simplified accounting model across ICC income and expenditure to help better manage ICC administrative and event costs.

If the ICC media release is true, then it is a clear signal for the end of the proposed World Test Championship which was scheduled to be held in England in 2017.

Plans to bolster the position of the 'Big Three' within ICC include the formation of a new five-man executive committee, with three seats reserved for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA).

According to the release ICC board has also agreed to discontinue the centralised Future Tours Programme (FTP), which ensured that the ten full members hosted and toured one another during an eight-year span.

Abandoning the FTP the ICC members will be a return to bilateral agreements between nations. These will run from 20152023 which is ICC's next commercial rights cycle.

However there was still no assurance from India of tours to less affluent member and interestingly an Indian Board media release last week virtually threatened to quit ICC events if more money and authority did not come its way.

However ICC bowing down to India’s wishes were obvious when Tuesday’s release claimed of “BCCI taking a central leadership responsibility”.

Meanwhile, ICC President Alan Isaac claimed that he had been disappointed by a leak to “media” of their plans that led to “unwarranted” criticism of their motives.