World Cricket - How is it run?

Outside of the subcontinent, cricket is mostly viewed as an Asian sport. Surprisingly after football, cricket is the most played sport in the world. Like Fifa, everyone is familiar with ICC the governing body of world cricket. There are five other regional boards that are answerable to ICC for their operations.

Asia, Americas, Africa, East Asia Pacific and Europe are the five regional boards that control the cricket operations. Contrary to what people might believe, the European Cricket Council has the most number of nations registered under the board, 33 being the exact number and the East Asia Pacific is the smallest with 11 member states. 

It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from Australia, England and South Africa. It was renamed as the International Cricket Conference in 1965 and took up its current name in 1987. ICC serves as the authoritative body for the sport of cricket. It assumes the crucial role of coordinating and overseeing international cricket matches and competitions, in addition to actively fostering the global growth of cricket. The ICC's extensive membership comprises 108 countries categorised into three groups: full members, associate members, and affiliate members. 

Full members wield full voting privileges within the ICC, while associate and affiliate members possess limited voting rights. A board of directors governs the ICC, with representation drawn from the full member nations. This board plays a pivotal role in defining the policies and procedures that guide the ICC's operations.

Now all being said and done, the debate that ponders everyone is who is actually in control of ICC operations. It is widely known that India or the Board of Control for Cricket in India generates most of the profits for world cricket and over the past 2 decades, cricket has been India-centric. If we are to look at this power shift, it can be traced back to the conflict dating back to 2008 when the Decision Review System (DRS) was introduced to eliminate on-field umpiring errors. 

While most cricketing nations supported DRS, the BCCI opposed it, primarily due to the exclusion of technologies like Snickometer and Hot Spot. Under pressure from the BCCI, the ICC made DRS usage non-mandatory, requiring unanimous agreement among participating teams to implement it.

In the 2008 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Series in Australia, an incident involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds resulted in Singh being initially banned for three matches after Symonds claimed he had been subjected to racial abuse. However, the BCCI threatened to withdraw from the series, leading the ICC to reverse its decision and impose only a fine on Singh.

Umpires have also faced BCCI pressure. Umpire Daryl Harper retired in 2011 after criticism from the BCCI for incorrect decisions in a series between India and West Indies. The BCCI also pressured the ICC to remove umpire Steve Bucknor during the 2008 Border-Gavaskar series.
Recently, the BCCI expressed dissatisfaction with the ICC's new bidding policy for hosting events. The ICC's decision to bid for hosting events instead of predetermined selections was met with resistance from the BCCI and other major boards.

One of the main reasons the BCCI holds considerable power is its financial contributions. The BCCI contributes a significant portion of the ICC's revenue, with around 70% of its total income coming from India. In 2017, ICC chief Shashank Manohar reduced the BCCI's share from 32% to 23%, leading to threats of boycotting the Champions Trophy. The IPL, India's domestic league, is a massive revenue source for the BCCI and contributes to its financial strength.

Additionally, the BCCI's power is amplified by the IPL, which is the world's top domestic league. The BCCI restricts Indian players from participating in other leagues, maintaining the exclusivity and dominance of the IPL. The league generates significant revenue and is crucial for the BCCI.

The ICC also faces challenges related to taxes, broadcasting rights, and scheduling. Disputes over tax exemptions for events hosted in India have arisen. Broadcasting rights and scheduling conflicts with India's domestic season have complicated matters.
For cricket to thrive globally, it's essential for the ICC and the BCCI to collaborate effectively, address their differences, and ensure a harmonious relationship. Balancing financial interests with the development and expansion of cricket worldwide remains a challenge that requires careful management.

Among its significant responsibilities, the ICC is tasked with the organization of numerous high-profile international cricket tournaments. These include the prestigious Cricket World Cup, the dynamic Twenty20 World Cup, and the Women's Cricket World Cup. Furthermore, the ICC plays a vital role in orchestrating regional cricket events, such as the Asia Cup and the Caribbean Premier League.

Beyond hosting competitions, the ICC is deeply committed to the global promotion of cricket. This involves arranging coaching clinics and workshops to enhance cricketing skills and offering financial support to cricket development initiatives worldwide.

Even though the ICC is doing so much for the game, the question remains who is actually in control of the board who is actually calling the shots and where the money is coming from?