Kolkata: Are you one of those Indian cricket fans who are eagerly waiting for the ICC Champions Trophy to start? If yes, then you may be taken aback by this news. There lies a heavy possibility that Team India could withdraw itself from this elite championship.
This move is the most obvious outcome of the tussle between the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) with regard to revenue sharing pattern.
We had reported earlier that the ICC is undergoing a change in its financial model and revenue sharing system. The primary aim of the international body has been to remove the ‘Big 3’, namely India, Australia and England.
For those who aren’t aware as to why these nations are called so, it is because these three nations have had enjoyed the biggest shares of the ICC till date and seldom have any decisions passed without the approval of these 3 nations.
However, the ICC in its new model looks to distribute power and shares equally among the all member nations. This is where the point of conflict arrives. The BCCI clearly doesn’t want the ICC to tamper with the powers given to the big 3 and hence, the board doesn’t support the new financial structure of the ICC.
A few weeks ago, the Committee of Administrators (COA) had sent an 11-page letter refusing to accept the new model of the ICC. The reason for the refusal being a severe drop in the share percentage of the BCCI. While it was 21 percent previously, it came down to less than 15 percent. Rumours have it that the richest board in the world is planning to boycott the upcoming Champions Trophy due to this reason.
Now if Kohli and his men do not show up to participate this year, it will be a huge blow to the ICC. The defending champions not playing will heavily affect the tournament. The number of fans Indian cricket team has is huge and if the team does not play, it will be disastrous for the tournament itself.
(with inputs from DNA)