When India’s cricket board first tried to take hold of International Cricket Council finances in 2014, it enlisted support. The BCCI was flanked in the attempt by Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Board – the so-called Big Three arguing that as the dominant financial entities in the international game, they should divide the proceeds between themselves.
The attempt only ended with change inside Indian cricket, when reformist administrator Shashank Manohar ousted a tainted predecessor. But Manohar is long gone, and today’s cronies have an appetite awakened by a reported new four-year broadcast deal for ICC events worth north of US$3bn, an increase of more than threefold per year. As any kid watching cartoons knows, henchmen are expendable as the stakes rise. This time the BCCI is going solo, carving out Australia and England along with everyone else. This time the attempt will succeed.
