Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Ramiz Raja’s ambitious proposal of a four-nation T20I series featuring India, Pakistan, Australia and England and run by the ICC was rejected unanimously by the ICC board in their meeting on Sunday, April 10, 2022.
The proposal by Ramiz Raja saw the four nations playing a T20I series which was to be hosted on a neutral venue or rotational basis and projected huge revenue given the encounters between India and Pakistan, who do not play bilateral series anymore. It showed a possible revenue of USD 750 million for five years.
"In any case, ICC's Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) was against this proposal. As we know that the MPA (Members Participation Agreement) doesn't allow any member nation to host more than tri-nation, organising four-nation every year would have in any case devalued ICC's own marquee events," a board member told PTI.
Another issue that was discussed was whether Ramiz Raja will remain the PCB chief, especially after Imran Khan, who had appointed him in the position, was ousted as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
PCB chairman is a political appointee as Pakistan PMs are always Patron-in-chief of the board. Hence Raja, an appointee of Imran Khan, might be forced to tender his resignation in the current political climate.
The Indian board, BCCI was very clear from the start that it will not play in the four-nation tournament given that their international calendar was choc blocked and it had many bilateral commitments to honor.
There were reports that ECB's Tom Harrison was also independently interested in exploring ideas of a four-nation tourney but it's now evident that nothing of that sort happened at the board meeting.
The two-day board meeting which concluded in Dubai on Sunday was a win-win one for the Indian cricket board, as it was also decided that chairman Gregory Barclay to complete his term till end of October before the global body starts its nomination process to find a new chairman.
"There has been no discussion on renomination of Barclay. But he will finish his current two year term as a chairman till the end of October. So the process of nominating a new chairman only starts in November," an ICC Board member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
The decision also helps the BCCI buy time as they are likely to have their AGM in September after which the composition of the national parent body will be clear. The BCCI has already appealed, seeking a few changes in the Lodha Constitution which many feel till date is practically non-implementable.
(PTI inputs)
