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The ICC board on Sunday (April 10) unanimously rejected the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja's proposal for a four-nation tournament, putting an end to speculations of multiple India versus Pakistan matches on neutral venues.
Ramiz's ambitious proposal of conducting a four-nation tourney comprising India, Australia, England under the aegis of the ICC was not considered by the all-powerful board even though there was a projected revenue of USD 750 million for five years.
"In any case, ICC's Financial and Commercial Affairs Committee (F&CA) was against this proposal. As we know that the MPA (Members Participation Agreement) doesn't allow any member nation to host more than tri-nation, organizing four-nation every year would have in any case devalued ICC's own marquee events," a board member said.
ICC chairman Barclay to complete his term till October
In another significant development, ICC board convinced its chairman Gregor Barclay to complete his term till end of October before the global body starts its nomination process to find a new chairman where the Indian cricket board could play a massive role.
The two-day board meeting which concluded in Dubai on Sunday was a win-win one for the Indian cricket board as Barclay's continuation till October gives it ample time to strategise whether it will field a candidate for the top post in the month of November.
"There has been no discussion on renomination of Barclay. But he will finish his current two year term as a chairman till end of October. So the process of nominating a new chairman only starts in November," an ICC Board member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
Originally, there was a possibility that the renomination or nomination would have happened in the month of June but that changed after deliberations between the member boards.
The decision also helps the BCCI buy time as they are likely to have their AGM in September after which the composition of the national parent body will be clear.
The BCCI has already appealed, seeking a a few changes in the Lodha Constitution which many feel till date is practically non-implementable.
It will be interesting to see whether president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah go for a cooling-off in September.
Shah's name is doing the rounds as the next chairman of ICC but there has been no confirmation from either the BCCI secretary himself or sources close to him about his apparent interest in throwing his hat in the ring.
Ramiz Raja may step down as PCB chairman
Ramiz Raja, who is a close friend of former prime minister Imran Khan, may step down as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after Khan was de-seated as he lost the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly (NA), Daily Jang reported, citing well-placed sources.
Sources privy to the matter said that Ramiz Raja has consulted his close friends over this. The PCB chairman may announce his resignation following his meeting with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai, the publication reported.
Raja is currently in Dubai for a dialogue with the ICC and the meetings will conclude today. The sources said that major changes could be made to the PCB in the next week, starting April 11.
In addition to this, changes may be made to the structure of domestic cricket, while departmental cricket may be restored.
