The International Cricket Council (ICC) has proposed to set up a dedicated fund to support teams outside the Big three of India, England and Australia.
The move has been put forward so that the respective cricket boards can remain competent and to counter the rising threat of franchise T20 leagues.
The T20 leagues which provide a much higher salary is a much better attraction for players compared to representing the national team, with a relatively lower play and added restrictions.
The issue comes to the fore after several New Zealand players had rejected the national team contract, to majorly play in T20 leagues all around the world, in a set up that is similar to a freelancer, opting to avoid bilateral series and play only in ICC tournaments.
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Details of the ICC’s dedicated fund plan to support cricket boards with rise of franchise T20 cricket
The ICC is likely to introduce the proposed dedicated fund to support cricket boards outside the Big Three from 2025, which is an attempt to make them competitive and to create a leverage for the players, to prevent losing their talent pool to the lucrative T20 leagues.
According to ESPN Cricinfo, the initiative was led by Cricket Australia’s chairman Mark Baird with the support of India’s Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which aims to create a central fund to provide a minimum standard match fee, reported to be around US $10,000, for players across the boards.
The initiative is expected to make Test cricket more attractive for players, who might look to take part in T20 competitions, which usually provides them with a much higher pay.
India, Australia and England’s cricket boards, otherwise known as the Big Three will not be included in the dedicated fund, as they are considered to be rich enough to sustain themselves. The other cricket nations generally have to operate at a loss, particularly in red-ball cricket.
The fund is expected to be in the region of US $15 million, reportedly the backing of BCCI secretary Jay Shah and ECB chairman Richard Thompson. The final detail of the funding is set to be confirmed by the end of this year, which will be implemented next year.
“It’s fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test-match fund. We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white-ball cricket,” Baird told the Sydney Morning Herald
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