England, India and Australia, the "Big 3", want more clarity from the ICC over the number of events to be scheduled during the next FTP cycle 2023-31 and only then, they would sign up in approval of the calendar and bid to host major world tournaments.
Pakistan, Malaysia and a consortium involving the West Indies and the United States are the only interested full and associate members of the governing body who have come forward with an Expression of Interest (EOI) to host one or two of ICC's major events that will be planned for the next eight-year period.
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ICC CEO Manu Sawhney wrote in February to all its full and associate members on the matter. It is understood that the EOIs would help shape the RFT process and help the ICC gauge the initial interest of the members and their respective governments in hosting those events.
Through Sawhney's letter, it seemed that the priority would be given to those ICC members who will receive a guarantee of tax exemption from their respective governments.
For the Big 3, however, the major bone of contention is how much of a hindrance the next FTP will be to their lucrative bilateral agreements.
"England and Australia have refused to participate. India did not even bother responding. Even New Zealand has told the ICC very clearly that there won't be any EOIs until the ICC chalks its international calendar for the 2023-31 rights cycle," TOI quoted a source close to the development as saying.
The draft proposal for the next FTP includes frequent World Cups and two more extra limited-overs major events to lure the broadcasters. This proposal, though, can only be finalised if a majority of the members agree to it.
"It doesn't augur well for the ICC when you have 12 full and 92 associate members and you ask for an EOI to host events and get just three responses," the source added.
"The CEO has now suggested that the broadcast rights for men's and women's competitions will be sold separately. That's another mistake. If women's rights are uncoupled from men's rights, there won't be any takers."
The BCCI, meanwhile, also demands its share of US$23.7m that the ICC is refusing to pay as part of the 2016 World T20 hosting fee. The board is set to head for an internal arbitration for the same through governing body's disputes resolution committee.
(Inputs from TOI)
