BCCI SGM agrees for more ODIs, T20s than Tests if proposed FTP is ratified and signed; No games with Pakistan outside ICC events
Team India will play majority of its cricket between 2019 to 2023 against the 'three big teams' — Australia, England and South Africa. However, there certainly would be more One-dayers and T20s than Test cricket if the proposed Future Tours Programme (FTP) is ratified and signed.
Team India's engagement with Test teams, other than the 'big three', is likely to be restricted to just two matches per series, a minimum requirement set by ICC Test Championship.
This was agreed upon during the special general meeting (SGM) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday. However, it comes with a clause that "FTP can only be signed after duly cleared by the special working group (SWG) to be formed with one member each from all five zones by the current three office-bearers of the BCCI.
In simple terms, this was the first time since Supreme Court had appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) that all members of BCCI decided to come together in order to stop "unnecessary interference of Vinod Rai-led team" into the commercial and cricketing affairs.
In the earlier FTP, there were gaps left deliberately to get leverage in the cricketing world. The new FTP, though agreed in principal by BCCI CEO in recent ICC meeting in Singapore, would be duly deliberated upon and approved by the SWG. And this would be done so that Members' Participation Agreement (MPA) and contracts with other cricket boards are signed in such a way that India stand to benefit in any kind of dispute arising in the future.
That's why the SGM mandated board's acting president CK Khanna, acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary and treasurer Anirudh Chaudhry to nominate the SWG, who will finally vet all the contracts and commercials, keeping in mind India's interests.
An official said, "We understand that there are few lacunas in the FTP which has to be discussed before signing it. We also need to see position taken by two other big cricketing nations — Australia and England — to ensure that our position and interests are not under any kind of threat."
In a nut shell, India will be playing more international matches at home between months of October to December, and will prefer playing abroad post new year.
Despite playing more matches, the workload of the players will reduce from 390 days 350 days over the next cycle, including two home ICC events. India's home matches would go up from 51 to 81, which is about a 60 per cent increase, but also the match days would only increase by 20 per cent — a clear indication of the reduction of Test cricket.
The FTP discussed at the SGM on Monday included no bilateral matches with Pakistan and it is set to be challenged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The PCB has made it clear that "it will not sign on the new FTP unless their team play India also". For this, the PCB has moved the ICC Dispute Resolution Committee.
However, BCCI's stance in this regard is clear that "playing outside the ICC events is not possible until government clears it".
The PCB insisted that it's nod to the new FTP depends entirely on the outcome of the dispute resolution proceedings.
The first causality of such a stance by both cricket boards would be the upcoming Asia Cup in India scheduled in June 2018.
"It's as good as over because it's not an ICC event," said a BCCI official on Monday.
BCCI SGM also refused to pay a compensation price of Rs 850 crore to the now defunct Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala.
The decision was taken after it was told to members that Kochi owners have written another letter to COA three days back that "they want compensation plus team's reinstatement".
"Our legal team has advised us that BCCI stands a good chance against arbitration proceedings in this case. So, we have decided to go back to the court," said an official.
The BCCI also decided to revoke its long-standing ban on the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) on two conditions. One, that former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi will never be back in its fold. Two, it will not come under the Rajasthan government Sports Act.
RCA was suspended in May 2014 when Modi was re-elected as its president.
The SGM has stamped the decision taken by BCCI earlier on dope testing agency, NADA. "There is no change in existing policy and all dope tests would be conducted by BCCI's own testing agency," SGM concluded.
Major points
- India will host 81 matches across formats from 2019-2023, 30 more than the previous FTP
- India will play more Tests against Australia, England and South Africa
- India to host Afghanistan’s first ever Test match in 2019-20
- Bilateral ODIs will take a beating
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