The Meaning of Life

Test and ODI cricket to get an overhaul.

Jon Pierik.

Saturday, 4 February 2017.

PTG 2039-10324. 

International cricket appears on the verge of a long awaited overhaul, with the Test and 50-over formats to be divided into leagues to add greater context.  The International Cricket Council's (ICC) chief executives committee has over the last few days in Dubai reached consensus on a way it believes will bring greater clarity to the two formats from 2019 – although, for Tests, it's not in a two-division conference which several countries had initially favoured.

The plan for Test cricket is now a 9-3 system to be run over a two-year period. Full details have yet to be confirmed, with one day remaining at the Dubai-based conference. Any plan is likely to need approval at the ICC board meeting in April.

As it stands, the plan is for the top nine member Test countries to play each other over a two-year period, with points at stake and the top two clashing in a final. The three lower-ranked teams – that being Zimbabwe and, should they earn secondary Test status, Ireland and Afghanistan – will play each other over a two-year period, with a view that each of the nine top teams should play at least one of the bottom three nations.

Ireland's domestic system has previously been granted first-class status, and Afghanistan's is in the pipeline, meaning those countries are favoured to be granted Test status, although that is unlikely to be ICC full-member status.  A series could feature just one Test. Nations which did not meet would forfeit points.

It was reported on Saturday that the ICC had regained control of the Future Tours Program (FTP) , and the major nations – Australia, England and India – wouldn't have the final say in scheduling of the championship system when the current FTP expires in 2019.  However, the nations would still have the power to schedule bilateral series outside of the championship. Regardless, it's unlikely icon series such as the Ashes and the battle for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be affected.

It's also emerged the nations are in favour of a three-year, 13-team One Day International (ODI) league to determine qualification for the World Cup.  The proposal is for a minimum of 12 ODIs annually for each nation.  Just how these plans fit around the expanding domestic Twenty20 competitions, such as the Indian Premier League and Big Bash League, will also need to be explained, along with plans to pool television broadcast rights.

There are also plans for qualification events for the World Twenty20 Championship (WT20C), with discussions ongoing about whether to add a WT20C in 2018 after the success of last year's event in India. Australia is due to host the WT20C in 2020.

ICC agrees to scale back power of the 'Big Three’.

Nick Hoult.

London Daily Telegraph.

Sunday, 5 February 2017.

PTG 2039-10323.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has agreed to scale back the powers of the so called ‘Big Three’ nations, Australia, India and England, in a bid to introduce a fairer decision-making body.  In 2014 the three were granted more executive powers and a greater share of revenue from ICC tournaments in a controversial move dubbed the ‘Big Three’ takeover (PTG 1388-6710, 8 July 2014). It led to a public demonstration at the Oval and a campaigning film entitled 'The Death of a Gentleman'.

A series of scandals within Indian cricket also weakened the grip of the Big Three and the ICC board, on Saturday, voted in favour of a more equitable governance that will see India’s share of revenue drastically cut possibly by up to £180 million ($A293 m) from the current ICC broadcast deal. There will be fewer committees in future, streamlining decision making, and all members will be given equal voting rights.

The ICC has taken advantage of the fact the Indian board is in turmoil after the country’s Supreme Court sacked its president and last week appointed a temporary panel to run its affairs (PTG 2035-10307, 31 January 2017).  The Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) representative at the meeting voted against the proposals which will be discussed again at the next ICC meeting in April where boards will be able to put forward alternative proposals. The opposition of the BCCI could derail the ICC’s plans if they can muster the support of other nations and how the money is carved up will likely need further negotiation.

The ICC has also agreed to the unilateral use of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) in international cricket after years of opposition from India was ended by Virat Kohli agreeing to the use of the system in the recent Test series against England.  UDRS will also be used in the World Twenty20 with one review per side, something that until recently has been rejected (PTG 2035-10310, 31 January 2017).

The ICC decided to give its anti-corruption unit the power to extract information from cell phones, potentially allowing them access to messages on services such as ‘WhatsApp’ (PTG 1979-9974, 17 November 2016).