ICC Meeting in Dubai: The ICC board is meeting in Dubai this weekend to discuss various issues, including Afghanistan’s membership, a new revenue distribution model, and the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan. The ICC’s working group on Afghanistan will present an update on the situation in the country since the Taliban took power in August 2021. The group will argue that women’s cricket is beyond the control of the Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) and the board should not be punished, but there is a growing resolve among members to act.
The F&CA committee will begin discussions on a new model to divide the ICC’s broadcast money and commercial earnings over the next rights cycle. The ICC is selling rights separately in different regional markets, as well as unbundling them into different packages, which has brought a much greater value than the last cycle. The BCCI secretary Jay Shah heads the F&CA committee, and smaller members are wanting enhanced shares.
The BCCI says India will not travel to Pakistan to play in the Asia Cup in September, and the PCB says if they don’t, then Pakistan might not travel to India for the World Cup in October-November. The PCB will raise the question of whether India will visit Pakistan for the ICC’s Champions Trophy in 2025 if they refuse to play in Pakistan for the Asia Cup. Ultimately, a decision on whether Pakistan travels to India for the World Cup will be made by the Pakistan government.
A working group looking into current and future FTP bilateral planning arrangements will be ratified at the meeting. The group is led by Zimbabwe head Tavengwa Mukuhlani and includes representatives from all of the ICC’s member boards. There have been concerns about the global calendar being more fractured and complicated now, making it difficult to navigate.
There is also a call for more Test cricket for smaller teams, with West Indies captain Jason Holder stating that “apart from the big three, every team is barely playing any Test cricket.” The ICC board will have to address this issue and consider the scheduling of matches for smaller teams.
Finally, there is the issue of the ICC’s governance structure, which has been criticized for being too centralized and undemocratic. Members have been calling for more transparency and accountability, and it remains to be seen whether the board will address these concerns at this meeting. Overall, the meeting will be closely watched, as it could have significant implications for the future of international cricket.
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