ECB chair Richard Gould has provided an impassioned defence of the BCCI, amid criticism of its power in the modern game.
Yesterday (April 22), in the latest edition of Wisden Cricket's Almanack, the editor's notes put forward a criticism of the unchecked influence of the BCCI on the global game, including the ascension of former BCCI secretary Jay Shah to ICC chair amidst a standoff between the two organisations over whether the former would send a team to Pakistan for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
In conversation with The Final Word, Gould was asked about the criticism levelled not just at the BCCI, but also at the ECB and Cricket Australia as the next most powerful members of the ICC, for not taking action against the Indian board.
Gould: The BCCI and India should have a significant say in what happens
"In terms of lack of accountability, the ICC is a members' organisation," Gould began, on Shah's change of role. "And so any chair or chief of that organisation is wholly and directly responsible to their members. Jay Shah, having now taken over as chair, has done so with the absolute support of majority of the members. That's what the members have voted for, that's what they wanted.
"And I think sometimes the BCCI gets an unfair rap from the media. Because we need to understand sometimes the finances of cricket. And the domestic market in India dwarfs every other country in the world. They make probably 90 per cent of the value. And therefore, BCCI and India should have a significant say in what happens.
"I'll go further than that. If you look outside of the other members of the ICC, if you take out the ICC revenues that are generated, largely by India, not more than four or five or perhaps six boards are actually financially sustainable based on their own domestic cricket markets. We all rely hugely on the Indian market."
'BCCI work very hard to make sure there is a competitive global market'
He added: "There is a huge imbalance in the power dynamic because of the size of those markets but I would also argue that the BCCI take their reponsibilities on the global market very seriously. If you look at the number of international fixtures the Indian team plays away from India, they play probably more than us. That would make them play more cricket than anybody anywhere else.
"Anytime they go and play in New Zealand, in Ireland, or the West Indies, they're effectively doing so for free. Because the way the cricket market works is, the broadcast revenue, home and abroad is owned by whichever team is hosting. So I think the BCCI work very hard to make sure there is a competitive global market."
Since Shah took over as ICC chair, the organisation's most notable course of action has been the pledging of financial support to Afghanistan's women cricketers, who seek to return to the game after being driven out of the country following a government takeover by the Taliban.
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