Wellington: New Zealand Cricket has backed the proposed changes in the ICC's administrative structure, which would leave major decision-making in the hands of India, Australia and England, despite facing severe criticism from the country's players' association.
The New Zealand Players' Association has described the draft proposal of this plan, which will be presented to the ICC Executive Board during its quarterly meeting in Dubai on January 28 and 29, as "scheming" by India, Australia and England.
The proposal, drafted by a "working group" of the ICC's Finance and Commercial Affairs (F&CA) committee, in which the BCCI, CA and ECB are key members, recommends wide-ranging changes in the ICC's revenue distribution model, administrative structures and the Future Tours Programme.
It questions the relevance of Test rankings and suggests the reinstatement of the Champions Trophy over the World Test Championship. And almost every recommendation of the "position paper" gives a larger share of control over world cricket to the Australian, English and Indian Cricket boards -- both in the boardroom and on the field.
NZC, however, is not complaining too much about it. In a statement by NZC board member Martin Snedden, who attended the Dubai ICC meeting where the plan was unveiled, insisted that New Zealand would not be "disadvantaged" or "downgraded" under the "changes that are currently proposed".
