No sign of a thaw in Champions Trophy stalemate
The ICC, the PCB, and the BCCI have been unable to reach common ground, even as time is running out rapidly for a competition that is less than 75 days away
The Champions Trophy saga continues to baffle the cricketing world, with no immediate resolution in sight for an imbroglio that has three parties in knots. The International Cricket Council (ICC), the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have been unable to reach common ground acceptable to all parties, even as time is running out rapidly for a competition that is less than 75 days away.
There was an air of optimism and anticipation that the final schedule for the February 19-March 9 event would be released on Wednesday (December 11). However, it now seems unlikely that the world body has any such announcement planned for the day. Furthermore, there is no indication of a meeting between ICC Board members, who were initially scheduled to convene on December 7. The virtual meeting had to be postponed due to a lack of consensus on how the eight-team competition should be conducted. It has not been reconvened since.
There was a lingering uncertainty surrounding the tournament's format initially. But the problem, one understands, is with the future ICC events rather than the current one. Those in the know confirm that the 15-match event will be conducted in a hybrid model, with 10 games in Pakistan and potentially five in another country - either the UAE or Sri Lanka. The main roadblock for a final resolution on the impasse is BCCI's reluctance to agree to Pakistan's demand for the same format to be applied when India hosts global events, in the next three years.
The BCCI stance also appears to have the backing of broadcasters, whose investments based on are territory-specific India games. To elaborate the point, broadcasters can argue that their financial commitments were based on a specific number of India games, the biggest revenue generators in world cricket, which yield better returns when played in India.
The predicament for the PCB lies in its inability to reconcile with the reality of the situation. Besides, it has taken a 'no-hybrid' stance from which it cannot easily back down if there are no satisfying compensations. An attempt was made at a compromise through Pakistan's demand for a tri-series involving India and another country. But it was rejected by both the BCCI and the ICC.
The ICC is already falling behind its contractual obligations to stakeholders, particularly in meeting its commitment to specific timelines. With the 90-day deadline long past, broadcasters are under pressure to market the tournament effectively. If the stalemate persists, it is not improbable that certain stakeholders may revive calls to convert the Champions Trophy into a T20 format which is easier and faster to market than the ODIs which are fast losing their relevance.
