More on the Big 3

The big 3 came into existence because of a fear of a takeover of the ICC with the excessive power of the BCCI. The fear of a franchise based takeover as the IPL may have hinted already. A general fear of the future of international cricket. 

BCCI put ultimatums on the line by not participating in ICC Events and walking away from the ICC should the proposals be rejected. ICC is supposed to represent a global governing body. That is the central purpose of the organisation in charge with the responsibility of controlling international affairs for the betterment of the game. 

The big 3 does not fit in with what the ICC stands for and what it should represent as a global sporting body in areas such as governance and finance.

However, because the big 3 supposedly have the strongest teams and are putting a lot already in the running of the game, they feel they deserve the most attention in running the game and generating revenue. 

The proposals will take effect from 2015.

Rather than worrying on expansion of the game through globalisation, the proposals aims to ensure cricket is still running healthily in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh to name two, with enough being invested in maintaining interest levels in those nations already playing as opposed to trying to appeal to new markets in USA and China.

Giles Clarke keenly defended the proposals during the interval of the 1st one day international against the West Indies on Sky. Clarke and his counterparts have come under an enormous amount of criticism for their so called greediness, but one cannot argue with how well he spoke in that interview, in an attempt to defend his stance, as Ian Ward quizzed away. It was the type of interview, that made you appreciate the other side to some degree even if you were hell bent against it. 

Whilst a lot of the moves the Position Paper covers have been severely attacked on various newspapers and social media, there are some positives such as opening up an opportunity for Ireland to enter the test world in the nearby future and the restoration of the mini World Cup in the form of the ICC Champions Trophy to be played in a 4 year cycle.