Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Wednesday, February 12, 2025
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Former PCB chairman criticizes ICC’s revenue distribution to India

Former PCB chairman Ehsan Mani expresses concern over India’s increased share of ICC earnings

Former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ehsan Mani, has raised concerns over the health of international cricket following the revelation that India will receive a significant share of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) media rights deal for 2024-27, worth $3 billion. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to receive 38.5% of the net surplus earnings from the ICC, which is much higher than its current 22% share in the 2015-23 deal.

In an exclusive interview with Forbes, former PCB chairman Mani expressed his disappointment with the proposed revenue distribution model, stating that it “will be giving the most money to the country that needs it the least, which makes no sense.” He also added that there was no strategic thinking about the development of the global game and no vision for cricket to grow beyond its traditional base.

According to Mani, the reliance on India could prove to be detrimental to the game of cricket. He pointed out that it only takes one downturn in the economic cycle for ICC members to be affected and that there is far too much reliance on India. Mani believes that for cricket to truly become a global game, it needs to grow beyond India and develop in other countries such as the United States and Africa.

Former PCB chairman Mani’s vision for the globalization of cricket includes allocating at least 30% of the funds to the Associates, which currently only receive 11% of the distribution. He believes this is the only way to grow the game on a global scale and make cricket accessible to a wider audience.

The former PCB chairman also called for financial parity among the 12 full members of the ICC, rather than giving the lion’s share to India. He believes that countries need sufficient resources to not only develop their players but also to pay them a fair amount, especially with the IPL and other T20 leagues targeting players. Mani also pointed out that the Indian market brings in a lot of money, but it is not just the BCCI that benefits. Indian companies also benefit from advertising at ICC events and worldwide. India is not playing on their own, but rather against other members, making it a two-way street.

Former PCB chairman Mani’s concerns over the increasing share of India in the ICC’s earnings are not unfounded. There has been a growing sentiment among the cricketing community that the ICC is too reliant on India. The BCCI’s financial clout has given it a disproportionate amount of power within the ICC, leading to accusations of bias in decision-making. India’s dominance within the ICC is evident in the fact that the ICC’s headquarters are located in Dubai, which is a neutral venue for all countries except India, who do not have to travel to Dubai to attend meetings.

India’s financial power has also led to the creation of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which has become the most lucrative T20 league in the world. The IPL attracts top players from around the world, but its success has also led to concerns about the impact it has on international cricket. The lure of the IPL has led to players retiring from international cricket to focus on playing in the league, which has weakened the quality of international cricket.

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The BCCI’s financial power has also allowed it to push its own agenda within the ICC. For example, India pushed for the ICC to adopt the World Test Championship, which was designed to give Test cricket more context and make it more exciting for fans. However, the structure of the competition has been criticized by some as being too complex, leading to accusations that it was designed to benefit India, who have a better chance of qualifying for the final due to the favorable points system. Former PCB chairman Mani’s concerns about the reliance on India are not new. The ICC has been criticized in the past for being too generous to India.

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