The Board of Control for Cricket in India suffered an unprecedented loss of face and isolation in the crucial International Cricket Council meeting in Dubai after majority of full members voted in favour of the changes in financial, governance and constitutional reforms.
All eyes are now on India on how it will react to this. The BCCI has called a Special General Body Meeting to decide on the next course of action which includes taking a call on whether India should boycott forthcoming ICC Champions Trophy or not. BCCI had deferred selecting a team for it as a way of putting pressure on the ICC, but it did not blink under that pressure.
India bitterly opposed the revenue model mooted by ICC chairman Shashank Manohar. India was the lone member to vote against it. The move for more equitable distribution of revenue was passed 9-1 while on governance reforms India found company in Sri Lanka. This reform was passed 8-2.
After India declined Manohar's offer of increasing its share by another 100 million dollars, the board also passed a resolution to keep India's share at $289 million as it had declined the offer. Under the N. Srinivasan model, India stood to make $569 million.
According to sources in Dubai, India kept requesting for a deferment on final decision till June but it was declined. India's representative, acting BCCI secretary Amitabh Chowdhary, was bound by BCCI SGM resolution to just go and negotiate but not take a decision. His views were ignored by majority members who wanted the board to pass the proposed changes.
Reportedly, India was banking on Bangladesh Cricket Board to be with it on finance issue, but BCB did not cross over. It pinned hopes on Zimbabwe to back it in revenue issue but a reported $19million bail out by ICC kept Zimbabwe happy and it did not support India.
The SGM will meet again and decide next step. Board members cried foul blaming the SC driven reforms, Manohar, and even Justice Lodha for weakening BCCI's hold in ICC. But none acknowledged that the strong arm tactics applied by former BCCI president N. Srinivasan had created such backlash, and that when the opportunity came, the other boards hit back with relish.
Strident posturing has already started, and while BCCI members believe ICC stands to lose if India pulls out of the Champions Trophy, as does the broadcaster, they believe the event won't happen if India pulls out by invoking the Members Participating Agreement. It appears Manohar and other member boards have taken that into consideration.
Some BCCI members, however, feel that the board games should not spill onto the field as situation can change in coming months.
