Contentious Revenue Distribution Model Moves Closer And USA Cricket’s Governance Issues

Debate over the contentious revenue distribution model is set to dominate the International Cricket Council’s Annual General Meeting, with USA Cricket’s ongoing governance issues and an important Chief Executives’ Committee election to also feature prominently.

The meetings will be held from July 10-14 in Durban, South Africa.

Revenue Distribution Model

Work on the revenue distribution model for the ICC’s $3 billion media rights deal has been going on for some time.

Details had been tight-lipped until ESPNcricinfo last month reported that India’s governing body was set to receive $230 million a year – or 38.5 per cent in an increase from their 22 per cent share currently – of net surplus earnings from the media rights deal for 2024-27.

Fellow powers Australia and England, like India are armed with billion-dollar domestic media rights deals, receive the next most at around six per cent though their slice has been significantly pared back.

Associate Members – 96 nations deemed under the 12 top tiered Full Members who are granted more funding and power – are set to receive around 11 per cent, which is about the same percentage as in the current model.

That has upset some in the Associate world with Sumod Damodar, an Associate Member representative on the influential Chief Executives’ Committee, labelling it “ridiculous”.

“New members are coming in and there are new programmes proposed to be enforced,” he told me recently. “How the hell are we going to sustain, develop and grow if there is no increase in the pot?”

But some Associate administrators believe it is the best deal that can be struck given the substantially more money the media rights deal will rake in compared to before.

“There will be much more money for Associates, whose share has gone up (slightly) compared to almost all the Full Members whose share went down,” a senior Associates administrator told me.

“Associates don’t have a loud voice, so this is probably the best deal that could be struck. Some Full Members will be pushing for more.”

The proposed model is set to be heavily debated in Durban although it’s unclear whether it will be finalized at the meetings or later in the year. According to sources, the model is likely to be passed as is or with minor tweaks.

Meanwhile, as I reported recently, the ICC’s high performance programme is set for a revival after it ran for over 15 years before being scrapped late last decade.

The programme for top Associates included player development pathways and specialized administrative structures to help professionalize those deemed close to Full Member level.

A working group on the issue is headed by ICC general manager Wasim Khan and a revamped version is set to involve some of the smaller Full Members along with top Associates. It is likely to be tabled at the meetings in Durban.

USA Cricket’s Governance Issues

As I first reported in April, USA Cricket was poised to be placed ‘on notice’ by the sport’s governing body amid ongoing governance turmoil.

USA Cricket is currently deemed non-compliant due to “not having in place a governance structure that is consistently applied”, according to the ICC’s development committee.

“It has not completed its 2022 elections within the timeframes required under its Constitution,” the development committee wrote in a document sent ahead of the AGM.

“As DevCom previously noted, the elections were delayed due to Covid-19 related restrictions.”

But with the delayed USA Cricket election finally set for July 8-11, USA Cricket is expected to be compliant by the time the development committee meets.

“Following the conclusion of the elections, USA Cricket will be able to appoint a permanent chair (as the chair is appointed by the Board of Directors), to take over from the current interim chair (Kuljit Singh-Nijjar),” the development committee wrote.

It will be a relief for embattled USA Cricket with being on-notice described as something like a “rap on the knuckles”, but the financial pinch is felt when members are suspended and their funding halted.

Former governing body USA Cricket Association was expelled in 2017 capping a turbulent period marked by three suspensions.

Saudi Arabia Cricket Federation are also expected to be compliant by the AGM. The governing body has not received ICC Scorecard and Competition Grant since 2022 due to non-compliance relating to incomplete audited accounts for 2020.

“The SACF is appealing this non-compliance to the Development Funding Committee and seeking an exemption from this historical compliance issue,” the development committee said.

The Age/Sydney Morning Herald reported in April that Saudi Arabia was seeking to set up the world’s richest cricket league setting off alarm for cricket administrators.

As I reported at the time, an ICC working group was set up tasked with addressing the explosion of T20 franchise leagues and expected to provide an update at the meetings.

Meanwhile, Iran, Sweden and South Korea are at risk of being placed ‘on notice’ for non-compliance issues.

Proposed Governance Overhaul

At last year’s AGM, a “single tier of membership” proposal for the ICC was put forward amid early discussions over constitutional reforms.

It is set to be raised again at the Durban meetings and involves scrapping seemingly archaic tiered membership headed by the 12 Full Members, who receive more funding and hold greater power through coveted spots on the 17-person ICC board.

A “single tier of membership” wouldn’t mimic FIFA’s contentious ‘One Country, One Vote’ rule, which has led to critics believing small countries are granted outsized influence.

The proposal advocated for a “weighted category-based voting structure based on ICC’s distribution model and performance in competition structures”, while funding would “emulate” the current Associate Member model based on performances on-and-off the field.

Membership tiers would be replaced by “format status” for both men’s and women’s – Test, ODI or T20I, the short format where every member has status.

There has also been a push to revamp the ICC board mostly comprised of Full Members. It has just one female independent director (former PepsiCo
PEP
chief Indra Nooyi) and an independent chair (Greg Barclay).

An overhaul has proven inevitably a thorny subject, but there is unrest in the air and push for change from some quarters. There have been several administrators from Associate countries prodding board directors to get the ball rolling on the the issue at this meeting.

The angst has been heightened by the revenue share model set to be passed by the ICC board.

“I don’t think there should be more than 12 board members and at least seven of them should be independent directors,” former ICC chief and Pakistan Cricket Board boss Ehsan Mani recently told me.

Chief Executives’ Committee Election

As I reported earlier this month, nine candidates will be fighting for the three spots available in the CEC election held on July 10.

Incumbents Sumod Damodar (Botswana), Mubashshir Usmani (UAE) and Rashpal Bajwa will recontest. Those looking to win a spot on the CEC are Bashir Ansasiira (Uganda), Umair Butt (Denmark), Richard Done (Cricket PNG), Johan Muller (Namibia), Ravi Seghal (Thailand) and Abhiram Yadav (Indonesia).

Done, a former ICC high performance manager, Ansasiira and Seghal are considered the favorites to unseat the incumbents.

The CEC is supposed to promote and develop cricket worldwide, while governing and regulating the sport at the international level. It is highly coveted for Associate chiefs and seen as a stepping stone to get onto the ICC board – where the real power lies in global cricket.

Newly-elected CEC Associate representative members receive two-year terms.