Shashank Manohar has officially declared that he will not go for a third two-year term as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to sources, Manohar will not be backed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. England's Colin Graves is the likely successor and India will back him. (More Cricket News)
The BCCI-England and Wales Cricket Board alliance could open a new window of opportunity for Indian cricketers. For the first time ever, leading Indian players may participate in ECB's ambitious 'The Hundred' tournament next summer.
A new version of limited-overs cricket, 'The Hundred' was scheduled this July-August but had to be deferred to 2021 due to the coronavirus. It may be tagged along with India's tour of England next year.
England will need BCCI's complete support to recover from the financial blow it has suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ECB chief executive Tom Harrison has been quoted in the British press saying that the English board has been talking to BCCI to release Indian players for its ambitious 100-balls-per-side tournament. India doesn't allow its men players to participate in overseas T20 tournaments.
"We want something that has global relevance, real commercial power, something that the whole game has ownership of and that reduces our reliance on international cricket, which is currently responsible for more than 90 per cent of our revenue," Harrison told The Cricketer. Fresh contracts will be given out to the players since the old ones have been terminated.
Oakwell Sports Advisory, a consultancy group, has suggested 'The Hundred' must attract leading Indian players and investors to make the tournament a success.
In a report entitled The Impact of Covid-19 on English Cricket, Oakwell states: “The Hundred needs to be able to attract Indian players and subsequently an Indian fanbase, too. The Indian subcontinent constitutes 90% of the 1 billion cricket fans aged 16-69 globally.
"Indian investment into the Hundred, including from IPL team owners, may facilitate the involvement of Indian players in the longer term. In addition to generating revenue out of India, this would be vital in unlocking the south-Asian UK-based fanbase."
ECB rejected an IPL-style franchise-based model for 'The Hundred'. Post the pandemic, the ECB may have a rethink. Teams like Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Capitals had shown interest in fielding teams in the Global T20 League that was planned by Cricket South Africa in 2017. KKR has a team in the Caribbean Premier League.
