LAHORE: Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Anurag Thakur has started lobbying for keeping the Big Three formula intact in the International Cricket Council (ICC) which is in direct contrast to his predecessor Shashank Manohar’s plans of doing away with it for good.

Well-informed sources told Dawn that the BCCI president is most likely to project a favourable BCCI stance for the Big Three formula in the annual ICC meeting, to be held in London during the last week of June. Sources claimed that Anurag had also held initial discussion with England and Australia over his stance of pressing ahead with the Big Three formula. Three countries including India, Australia and England form the Big Three in the ICC.

Nonetheless, the sources added that Manohar, as the head of the ICC and having all the decision-making powers, will try to abolish the Big Three formula for good. The formula was introduced by the former BCCI president N. Srinivasan who was later suspended for being involved a match-fixing scam that erupted in the Indian Premier League.

Pakistan was the last country which bowed to the Big Three formula most probably realizing that the Big Three countries could hit Pakistan’s interest.

When contacted PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said though rumours had it that India might change its stance, Pakistan is firm in its stance that the ICC should do away with the Big Three formula. “A decision to do away with the Big Three formula has already been taken, but how will it be dismantled will be decided in next meeting. Pakistan also wants abolishment of the Big Three formula as we believe that a democratic system should prevail at the ICC,” maintained the PCB chairman.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2016