BCCI And Other Members Ask ICC To Call Off Test Championship, ODI League

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the entire world to a standstill and cricket has not been spared either. The pandemic has wreak havoc on the game’s schedule and cricket bodies will have a tough time in rescheduling the cancelled series when action resumes.

All the international and major domestic events are currently suspended all around the world. The BCCI recently suspended the Indian Premier League (IPL) indefinitely after the Indian government extended the lockdown to May 3. The IPL was set to start on March 29.

BCCI had also called off the ODI series against South Africa last month. Similarly, the likes of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, England and other countries have also called off their series. And with no clarity over when will things become normal, leading member boards of the International Cricket Council (ICC) – BCCI, the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket Australia (CA) – have written to the global body governing the game, asking for the Test Championship Cycle and the proposed one-day international (ODI) league to be done away with.

Not only that, the boards, particularly led by the ECB, have also conveyed to the ICC that the Future Tours Program (FTP) draft needs to be “revisited”. According to The Times of India, these communications took place between the ICC and the member boards more than two weeks ago, when the governing body held its March board meeting via a teleconference.

“This is an ongoing discussion right now. There’s absolutely no leadership coming out of the ICC whatsoever,” a leading administrator told the news outlet.

The board members wrote to the ICC as they are worried that the uncertain times could potentially eat into the members’ bilateral arrangements. The BCCI too is categorically in line with the steps taken. While the board members are worried over bilateral series, the ICC is trying to propose and schedule more official tournaments, which will do nothing but eat into the bilateral windows of its own member boards.

The apex body of the game wants to host a flagship tournament every year in the next rights cycle. The leading members have already expressed their reservation over the same and their opposition is only going to increase now because of the losses they have faced due to the pandemic.

The report further stated that the ICC is busy “exploring all options” to ensure the present Test champions cycle can be completed in the wake of the virus threat. On the other hand, the ODI league was scheduled to begin in May this year and conclude ahead of the 2023 50-over ICC World Cup.

Also Read: Shoaib Akhtar Recalls The War Of Words Between Him And Matthew Hayden

Also Read: Shaun Pollock Weighs In On Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara Debate