The T20 World Cup in the US will be a hot topic at the AGM (Photo: Matt Roberts-ICC/ICC … [+]
The International Cricket Council’s series of meetings began in Colombo, Sri Lanka on Friday with a refresh of the board following the election of Associate Member Directors.
Below are some pressing issues that are expected to be thoroughly debated, although they may not ultimately be discussed.
Finances of the T20 World Cup
As we reported earlier this week, the T20 World Cup in the United States is under scrutiny, with an audit believed to be ongoing but unlikely to be completed before the AGM.
With USA Cricket mired in internal issues, T20 Incorporated, the body set up in the US to stage the T20 World Cup, is expected to face criticism for its management of the event.
The luster of what was supposed to be a monumental event with games in New York, Dallas and Lauderhill was dimmed by problems on and off the field.
Of particular interest is whether costs have ballooned on the much-touted modular stadium on Long Island and the ground which has drawn criticism for a dull drop-in pitch on which batting has proven particularly difficult.
The site was built in just a few months and, as I reported in April, cost $30 million.
“Given how much it cost New York and the fact that the ground was demolished[soon after the US matches finished]we need to see whether it was worth it,” an ICC director told me.
Some teams have had to contend with logistical problems: Ireland were told just two weeks before the tournament that they would be staying in Brooklyn instead of near their ground on Long Island, with the round trip from the ground to the hotel taking up to four hours.
The Brooklyn hotel was located between a fire station and a police station, meaning sirens blared throughout the night, making preparations less than ideal, and the hotel had no room service or restaurant, forcing players and staff to order food from Uber Eats.
Cricket in the US set to be legalised
As I first reported, the US Cricket Association has been given a “warning” amid ongoing turmoil, and the sanctions could bring the association closer to being suspended from membership.
The ICC found that USA Cricket did not comply with associate membership standards.
USA Cricket has also been deemed “not fit for purpose” and USA Cricket has been plagued by familiar infighting and a string of resignations, most notably the termination of CEO Dr. Noor Murad’s contract in March just months after taking the job, with the recruitment process to find a replacement still ongoing.
If USA Cricket receives a “warning” at the annual general meeting and doesn’t comply after a year, it could be suspended and ultimately lose its membership.
As we reported in April, the US Cricket Association’s funds are “controlled” by the ICC.
India and Pakistan set to clash in Champions Trophy
Nearby, as is almost mandatory for the board, rivals India and Pakistan will be locked in a heated debate over next year’s Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s first time hosting an ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.
But international cricket has steadily returned to Pakistan after a period of isolation, and the country hosted the Asia Cup last year.
The two countries have not played each other in bilateral cricket due to bitter political differences, but tensions have simmered over events held in Pakistan – India last played there in 2008.
Last year’s Asia Cup saw a hybrid format introduced with matches, including the knockout stages, played in Sri Lanka after India opted not to tour Pakistan.
A similar proposal is likely to be pushed through for the Champions Trophy, but the Pakistan Cricket Board has so far refused to budge, reportedly preferring to host the entire tournament domestically.
But, as is the case with most things in cricket, the all-powerful Indian Cricket Board usually gets its way.
Political tensions between India and Pakistan are spilling over into cricket (Photo: Pankaj Nangia/Getty) … [+]
Testing the Future of Cricket
There has been much debate about the future of Test cricket, with the traditional five-day format proving too expensive for smaller countries to sustain and its declining popularity and importance in some parts of the world.
As I reported in 2021, there had been calls from smaller full member nations to reinstate the Test Match Fund.
At the ICC Board’s quarterly meeting in March, New Zealand board member Martin Sneddon presented a blueprint for saving Test cricket, a report that was ignored by cricketing powerhouses India, Australia and England, according to the Sydney Morning Herald/The Age.
Some directors believe the issue is at an impasse: “This was Sneddon’s informal document and it never moved forward,” one director told me.
It is believed that the inevitable curtailment of Test cricket will see the number of participating nations reduced from 12 to five or six.
But Zimbabwean national team chairman Tavengwa Mukuruni said smaller nations wanted to play Test cricket but were not being given the opportunity in the nine-team World Test Championship.
“I’m not in favour of cutting the Test team,” he told me, “The best way forward for the WTC is to feature all 12 nations and preferably the top associate members, and include promotion and relegation.”
“Countries like us, Ireland and Afghanistan don’t have the context to play Test cricket.”
Zimbabwe want to play more test matches (Photo: JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP via Getty Images)
Proposal for governance reform
The idea of a “single tier of member states” had been on the table for some time during early discussions on constitutional reform.
It involved doing away with a seemingly outdated hierarchical membership, headed by 12 full members who gain more funding and greater power through coveted positions on the 17-person ICC Executive Board.
A “single tier of member states” would not mimic FIFA’s controversial “one country, one vote” rule, which critics have led to believe gives smaller nations too much influence.
The proposal calls for a “weighted category-based voting structure based on performance within the ICC’s allocation model and competitive structure” that would “mimic” the current associate membership model, with funding being based on on- and off-field performance.
Membership tiers will be replaced by “format status” for both men and women – Test, ODI or T20I, the shortened format in which all members have status.
Vice-chairman Imran Khwaja presented the proposal to the board at last year’s annual general meeting, saying the aim of the process was to achieve a “meritocratic and egalitarian” membership.
A discussion paper has been proposed, but it is unclear whether it will be completed and ready for presentation at this annual meeting.
High Performance Program
As I reported last year, the ICC’s High Performance Programme, which ran for more than 15 years before being phased out after a decade, is set to be revived.
Programs for top associates included player development pathways and specialized management structures to help professionalize players deemed closer to full member level.
The new high-performance programme will set itself apart by including smaller full member countries such as Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe, as well as top associate member countries.
More specific details, including the total amount of funds allocated and each country’s share of the burden, are expected to be announced at the meeting.
Afghanistan’s women’s issues unlikely to be discussed in detail
While the Afghanistan men’s team has performed admirably in the T20 World Cup, uncertainty for the women’s team continues to hover in the background.
Afghan fans celebrate Afghanistan’s victory over Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup (Photo credit: -/via AFP) … [+]
Fearing for their safety, women cricketers fled overseas and most of the team fled to Australia after the Taliban’s bloody seizure of power in 2021. The situation has sparked a political storm but does not threaten Afghanistan’s full membership.
Members of the Afghanistan women’s cricket team have asked the ICC for help in reuniting them as a refugee team based in Australia.
As I reported last year, the Working Group was due to be disbanded after Afghanistan evaded ICC sanctions, but it remained in place because Australia and the UK took a pro-human rights stance.
The top cricketing teams may raise the issue during the conference but not much progress is expected.
“There are more urgent issues that need to be resolved now,” one director told me.
