The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) continues to be hesitant to boycott Pakistan internationally, at every front. The trust has not used its leverage at the ICC to force the international cricket governing body to ban Pakistan from international cricket. BCCI has projected itself to be part of a larger ecosystem, as if it cannot dictate the terms. However this is not true as BCCI, being the richest cricket body in the world practically controls cricket events across the globe.
ICC generates money from tournaments like Cricket World Cup, Champions Trophy etc. The majority (more than 80 percent) of the income of these tournaments comes from India. But the country gets very little (around 20 percent) in return when the organization distributes income to its members. As per the revenue sharing agreement of ICC for 2015-23, India will get only 22.8 percent (405 million dollars) in return despite the fact that it is expected to contribute almost 80 percent. “They (India) are contributing towards 80 per cent of the money and they’re taking about 20 per cent for hiring their team for the ICC.” said Cricket Australia Chairman Wally Edwards.
Therefore, the revenue generated from India not only bankrolls ICC but also goes to other 106 members of the organization including Pakistan. As per the analysis of ICC’s revenue, all other full time members except India contribute 0.1 percent to 5 percent in the total earnings of the organization. The next two big contributors after India are England and Australia. The contribution of Pakistan to the total revenues of the organization could be somewhere between 1-3 percent. However, the cricket board of the terrorist nation will get 128 million dollars out of the 1,536 million dollars ICC will distribute to all cricket playing nations from 2015 to 2013. This amounts to more than 8% of the total revenue sharing, substantially higher than what Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is contributing.
The money PCB and the boards of all other cricket playing nations are getting will come from the pockets of Indians. So effectively, India is funding PCB, contributing to Pakistan’s national income, which is indirectly used in the terror attacks. PCB claimed ‘sound financial position’ in the budget 2018-19 and said “While reviewing previous year’s financial performance for 2017-18, the BoG noted that the PCB has very successfully achieved its income target.” The majority of the income of PCB came from inequitable revenue distribution by ICC. Apart from the funding, there is also the issue of security regarding Indian players and Indian fans during the World Cup.
BCCI has subtly omitted to even mention Pakistan in its letter sent to ICC regarding banning the terrorist country. “Most countries from which the members of the ICC hail (including United Kingdom) have strongly condemned this terrorist attack and expressed solidarity with India. BCCI urges the cricketing community to sever ties with countries from which terrorism emanates,” wrote BCCI to ICC without naming Pakistan.
India gets “far less than what the country deserves”, said BCCI’s previous acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary. Indian cricket lovers practically bankroll ICC as well as finances cricket in almost every other country in the world. If BCCI pressurizes ICC with withdrawal from the World Cup, the international cricket body will be forced to sever ties with the terrorist nation. The BCCI has the power of bringing the cricketing world to its knees, of bankrupting the ICC and almost every other cricketing board in the world. The BCCI needs to boycott and take strict action against Pakistan in response to Pulwama attack rather than accepting the status quo.
