The Committee of Administrators reportedly advised BCCI office-bearers on Friday against flatly opposing the International Cricket Council’s plan to roll back the controversial Big Three revenue and administrative model initiated by India in 2014.

The CoA is said to have conveyed this during a meeting with BCCI joint secretary, Amitabh Chaudhary, to discuss the stand the national board should take in the crucial ICC Board meeting to be held in Dubai on April 27-28.

The upcoming meeting has raised some confusion over who is the decision-making authority in the BCCI. The Supreme Court appointed the CoA to oversee the reform process in the board, but it has also chosen joint secretary, Amitabh Chaudhary, to attend the ICC Board meeting.
This decision seems to have sidelined the CoA as far as the crucial meeting is concerned. The BCCI office-bearers are entirely opposed to the bid to roll back the 2014 Big Three revenue and administrative model which gave BCCI and its Australian and England counterparts a big say in running global cricket as well as the lion’s share of the revenues.

However, the panel headed by former CAG, Vinod Rai, had worked out the math for a solution to the issue. The global body had in principle decided on a roll back, but a final decision is to be taken in the Board meeting.

BCCI officials empowered

On Friday, Chaudhary alone out of the three BCCI office-bearers invited attended the meeting, and it seemed the CoA may no longer have a say in deciding the Indian board’s stand at ICC.

Amitabh Chaudhary told HT: “I will stick to the BCCI’s brief given to me in writing at the SGM.” The CoA had held meetings with most of ICC’s permanent members as well as its chairman Shashank Manohar. But any understanding reached may not be relevant.
Chaudhary said: “We will also have meetings with all the Boards before the ICC meeting.”

A resolution passed in the SGM decided that the BCCI would ask for the ‘Big Three’ revenue model to be retained till the ICC AGM in London in June. It means they want the revenue model to be finalised after Manohar’s tenure ends.

Champions Trophy participation

Any decision on India’s Champions Trophy participation (it starts June 1) will also be taken only after the ICC Board meeting, as BCCI bids to gain leverage in the battle.

The deadline for announcing the Champions Trophy team is April 25. If the BCCI members have their way, the selection committee may miss the deadline. There are doubts the BCCI may be out-voted in the ICC meeting, but the powerful Indian board is confident of victory.

Not to be aggressive

In the meeting, it is learnt the CoA warned the BCCI office-bearers against taking an extreme position. According to the CoA, only the group owing allegiance to the former BCCI president N Srinivasan is taking a tough stand. The rest want a reasonable resolution without harming BCCI’s interests. Chaudhary has told the CoA he will discuss its suggestion with the BCCI members.

“It’s about looking after our interest and defusing the situation as well. It doesn’t mean money only,” the CoA feels.