'India could pull out of ICC events if proposals not met'

Published January 23, 2014
India's participation in ICC events was subject to approval of the draft proposal reported to give India, England and Australia control over the ICC. -File photo
India's participation in ICC events was subject to approval of the draft proposal reported to give India, England and Australia control over the ICC. -File photo

After days of debate over the controversial ‘draft proposal’, the BCCI has upped the ante and essentially warned cricket’s governing body that it may skip International Cricket Council (ICC) events in the case that the plans to restructure the ICC are not implemented.

Although details of the proposals haven't been made public, they are reported to give India, England and Australia control over the ICC, Test cricket and its revenue in a major shake-up of the way the sport is run, including a greater say in when and where they play series.

Opposition to the proposals has come from all circles - Cricket South Africa has termed it “fundamentally flawed” while the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations has said, “The game deserves far better than this.” The Pakistan Cricket Board also approached the developments with caution saying, "a lot of apprehension was expressed over the direction world cricket is taking.”

The draft proposal will be presented to the ICC Executive Board during its quarterly meeting in Dubai on January 28 and 29 but the BCCI has already indicated what it will be pushing for. In a media release, it has termed the proposed changes as being in the “interests of the game.” But more importantly, according to Cricinfo, it has issued a thinly veiled warning to the ICC and other members saying it had, “authorised the office bearers to enter into agreements with the ICC for participating in the ICC events and hosting ICC events, subject to the proposal being approved by the ICC board”.

The ICC, which has long been accused of being incompetent, has hitherto remained mum on the developments. But it will perhaps face its toughest test in the coming weeks as members, quite simply, decide the fate of the game.

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