The BCCI acted in the best interests of Indian cricket by fielding Team India in the Champions Trophy in England in June, even if only after being shown the right path by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators. The board may have woken up late to the fact that it can’t hold the game hostage to push for a greater share of ICC’s global revenues. The board also can’t forever be the plaything of a former president, ousted from both the BCCI and ICC, who hopes to disrupt world cricket by provoking a BCCI-ICC clash. The former strongman for the first time met resistance from within, and had to backtrack on his demands, that included India exiting the Champions Trophy.
The proper approach to sorting out problems with the ICC was to keep the doors open for talks, and negotiate a better financial deal. The difference between what is offered and what is sought is only around Rs 50 crores a year for eight years, a sum the uber-rich BCCI can afford to forego to maintain ICC unity. To regain its former pre-eminent position in the world body, the board must show the right diplomatic approach as well as indicate it can lead the pack in an equitable manner. The BCCI may not have been able to sustain a Champions Trophy boycott even if it had insisted as the Supreme Court is seized of all matters cricket, and would have been the final arbiter. The BCCI’s administrators need lessons in commonsense, which is where the court’s wisdom may come in most handy.
