DUBAI – A breakaway rebel governing body, the proposed T10 format and lackof interest from broadcasters are among “18 threats” that internationalcricket faces right now, according to a report of the ICC’s StrategicWorking Group (SWG) which will discuss these issues with the BCCI onThursday.
The report, which is in possession of PTI, claims to be a SWOT analysis ofthe issues confronting world cricket. The SWG comprises Cricket Australia’sDavid Peever, BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, Singapore’s Imran Khwaja, Cricket SouthAfrica’s Patricia Karambami, West Indies Cricket Board’s Dave Cameron andwomen’s representative Clare Connor.
The Group will update BCCI office-bearers – Acting President CK Khanna,Acting Secretary Amitabh Choudhary and Treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhry – onglobal strategy for cricket. “Yes, there has been threat to ICC. A verywell-known former cricket administrator (currently banned) along with anIndian TV channel and an Australian lawyer had approached a lot of playersand officials in order to form a parallel global body. They had named it’Operation Watershed’ then,” a senior BCCI official told PTI on conditionof anonymity.
“They wanted to form parallel associations in each country and wereoffering a lot of money to the players. The project didn’t take off butthere’s no reason that it won’t take off once again,” the official said.
The ICClink>analysisdoes not take names. However, it is interesting to note that in 2016, therewere reports of sacked IPL commissioner Lalit Modi approaching officialsfrom England and Australia to form a parallel body, a speculation that dieddown as quickly as it took off.
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Another matter of concern is the proposed T10 format amid statements fromstars such as former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum that Test cricketwill not be sustainable in the long run.
“The T10 league is also a matter of concern. More so, it was organised byEmirates Cricket Board (last December) with a lot of current players likeEoin Morgan, Shoaib Malik, Dwayne Bravo taking part,” the official said.
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These threats could be directly linked to point No.8 in the report whichstates: “Uncontrolled private investment into sports by commercialoperators whose interests are aligned with short-term financial gainsrather than long-term health and growth of sports.”
Also, football’s growth in traditional cricket nations is also listed as athreat in the SWG analysis along with a “lack of competitive tension in thebroadcast market”. – Agencies