Last Updated on 1 year by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: India revenue vital for cricket – ECB CEO | ECB CEO Richard Gould in support of proposed revenue model
A meeting is set to take place in Durban in July 2023 where the financial model proposed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the coming years will be discussed and voted on. The model which makes clear the ICC’s revenue-sharing plans for the 2024-2027 cycle has faced a fair bit of criticism for further widening the gap between top cricketing nations, like India, and the Associate Members.
However, the Chief Executive Officer of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Richard Gould, has come out in support of the ICC’s proposed model. In his opinion, India helps in the growth of cricket as a sport altogether and brings in revenue that is second to none.
How much will India receive in the proposed ICC revenue model?
The ICC has an estimated pool of a whopping $600 million. The 12 Full Members of the ICC will be receiving an astonishing 88.81% of the revenue, which is approximately $532.84 million. The remaining 11.19%, which is just $67.16 million, will be shared amongst the 94 Associate Members.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will be receiving $230 million, which makes up 38.5% of the ICC’s annual pool of $600 million.
The England and Wales Cricket Board will receive 6.89% of the revenue, adding up to $41.33 million. Cricket Australia, lying at third rank in terms of the share in revenue, will receive $37.53 million, which equals to about 6.25% of the total pool.
Only 5.75% of the revenue would be going to The Pakistan Cricket Board, as they are set to receive an amount of almost $34.51 million.
Arguments for and against the proposed revenue model
This proposed model has raised a lot of questions, highlighting the ICC’s ignorant attitude towards the comparatively smaller cricketing nations. Many believe this will bring a halt to the overall development of the sport.
The Vice Chairman of Botswana’s board, Sumod Damodar, who is also one of the three Associate Member representatives in ICC’s Chief Executives Committee, along with Ehsan Mani, former ICC President and PCB Chairman, are amongst those who have come out in opposition of the proposed framework. But, the ECB CEO, Gould, has given recognition to India’s ability to bring in revenue and help in the spread of cricket globally.
“When you see where that value is created, I think it’s understandable. There may be tweaks in the margins here or there, but the dominant position India is in is based on India’s ability to drive revenues and drive the sport forward. One point four billion people, one sport, ten (IPL) teams, one international team,” said Gould on the The Final Word Podcast.
Gould also believes that India does justice to the amount and percentage of revenue that they are recipients of. Even though he admitted to the inequality and discrepancy with regard to the revenue distribution model, he is of the belief that India is doing its best for the good of this sport. He thinks of the issue keeping in mind the larger picture.
Gould is of the opinion that India is helping to push the sport on a much larger scale, and accepts that the ICC would not make as much revenue if it was not for the millions of cricket fanatics in India.
“I get it. But, I also understand how important India is, because without them we wouldn’t have the kind of revenues that are coming into the game. And, I do think India make huge efforts to be responsible partners in this when I see the amount they travel around the world, taking India everywhere.
I do think it is a balance. I think there is collective decision-making, both in India and within the ICC, and I think there is a real determination and understanding we need for cricket to be expanding and we need it to be healthy around the world” added Gould.
