Cash rich and cricket crazy Asia may challenge ICC

Cash rich and cricket crazy Asia may challenge ICC
HS RAO

London, July 2: The International Cricket Council's position as the sole organiser of worldwide cricket matches faces a challenge from Asian administrators, media reported on Sunday.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, who the previous day completed a turbulent three-year term as ICC president by severing all personal links with the world governing body, was in the chair of the newly formed Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) but a breakway from the rest of the world was not on the agenda.

``Asia has the most viers of cricket and yet it does not seem to get an appropriate allocation of resources from the ICC,'' one of the delegates told the newspaper.

``We are trying to promote the game within the region. Whoever is in charge of developing it does not have to answer to us at the moment, they answer to the ICC,'' he was quoted as saying.

According to the report, the AFC is likely to play a prominent role in negotiating broadcasting deals for the nations involved and indicated that, outside the tour programme of the ICC, many more tournaments and series are planned.

Zee TV, beaten last week in the bidding for the next two World Cups, is desperate for a foothold in cricket and is expected to cover many of the AFC events.

In a lengthy press release, Zee TV said last week ``a game which gives all of us so much pride cannot be allowed to be hijacked by the white man. Zee would support and commit itself to any Asian initiatives that support the development of the game in Asia and across the world.

``We have to use all the tools and instruments of our marketing process to breathe fresh air into the game. We are determined to fight to the finish. As an Asian company, fuelled and powered by Asians, we cannot let Asian pride suffer any more. Let Asia lead cricket,'' the release said.

The report said that cricket in Asia is highly lucrative. The mini World Cup in in Dhaka in 1998 raised nine million pounds and each nation, in an Asian Test championship last year, earned 1.32 million pounds.

With Bangladesh now a Test nation, there will be even greater scope for more All-Asian tournaments, in Asia and on off-shore venues with large expatriate population such as Sharjah, Singapore and Canada.

Nobody wants these events to stifle the riches that spring from series against such countries as England, Australia and South Africa.

The cricket world may stay together on the field but it could come under strain over what may happen with alleged match-fixers once their cases have been adjudicated on by Lord Griffith and his Code of Conduct Commission, the report said.

The authorities in India and Pakistan have said they will abide by the Commission's findings and cooperate with the director of the ICC's anti-corruption unit, Sir Paul Condon.

But Pakistan may find it hard if Lord Griffiths and Sir Condon recommend further penalties against some of their players who have already been fined for links with bookmakers, the report added.