They have performed admirably thus far in sticking with all three game forms. Their dedication to the Test match has never been stronger than it is right now.
According to CEO Johnny Grave, Powerhouse India has a “leadership role to play” in ensuring the five-day format lives and flourishes in smaller areas like the West Indies. Test cricket is still in jeopardy.
While applauding the BCCI’s persistent dedication to Test cricket despite a demanding schedule, Grave—who joined Cricket West Indies (CWI) in 2017—said more has to be done at the ICC level to safeguard the red-ball game outside the primary three, which are India, England, and Australia.
During the 2023–2025 World Test Championship cycle, only the top three players from among the nine ICC full members will participate in a five-match series. Three complete members—Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Ireland — have never participated in the competition since it was established in 2019.
While co-hosting the T20 World Cup, Grave expressed his thoughts about the game’s future and the role he believes the BCCI will play.
“India must take the lead in this. They currently hold the top spot on the board regarding resources, power, and influence. They’ve done a great job playing the game in all three of its versions thus far. I don’t think they have ever shown such a solid dedication to Test cricket as they do now, added Grave.
Since the ICC is a membership organization, the BCCI’s position on any topic is critical.
Do they exercise sufficient leadership?
“I believe they are. They are starting to have a more significant say in the important choices that the ICC makes. Reintroducing cricket to the Olympics is one of the most significant victories the ICC has had in the past 12 months, and the BCCI has been a major contributor to this success.
In my opinion, India’s support and participation in that bid was vitally essential to the ICC’s outcome, which was the inclusion of cricket in the Los Angeles Games.
He referred to the sport’s 128-year absence from the Summer Games. “And we’re already seeing from the associate world in particular, that being an Olympic sport has a huge impact on them positively in terms of how they can get money from the government, get money from the Olympic associations to drive the game at all levels,” he said.
At the very least, lodging and travel expenses should be centralized in WTC.
The Caribbean Wrestling Association (CWI), which depends on revenue from media rights from Indian and English broadcasters to maintain the game in the region, has significantly benefited financially from India’s three tours of the West Indies in the past five years.
Series in the WTC cycle are set up like bilateral rubbers, with the visiting teams having to cover their travel expenses and the host board keeping all broadcast earnings.
Given that the West Indies incur the highest travel expenses globally, Grave wants the ICC to centralize at least the travel expenses.
As nations that play Test cricket, we need to have a collective mindset where we look out for one another. The World Test Championship is where that will begin. It is picking up steam. It can be improved.
“Centralise flights and accommodation within the World Test Championship and take on those costs as the costs of the league rather than placing all that burden on the participating teams as we’re so negatively disadvantaged by that,” stated the CEO of CWI.
The T20 World Cup will bring the area $300 million in economic benefits.
Grave says the CWI’s financial situation hasn’t improved despite several trips from England and India after COVID-19. The T20 World Cup, the first ICC men’s competition to be hosted in the Caribbean since 2010, would also increase CWI’s finances, which bring in USD 50 million a year.
The World Cup required immediate renovations at the six selected venues, which cost approximately USD 50 million. Half of this went toward the Kensington Oval in Barbados, the site of the championship match.
The last time we held a men’s event was fourteen years ago. Furthermore, we must get to host international events.
” (building infrastructure) It’s a huge part of hosting a World Cup because the legacy of that means that the six grounds that are hosting or playing hosts for this World Cup will have facilities that we, Cricket West Indies and our home boards, can benefit from for hopefully the next decade,” he said.
The USA and the West Indies are co-hosting the T20 championship, and in the future, additional international events will be co-hosted rather than simply by the major three, as in the previous ten years.
We stated that we believe the revenue sharing of the International Cricket Council (ICC) allocations should be more equitable (India gets the lion’s share of that). The spreading around of the men’s events was a component of that equality.
Based on the money they would keep from hosting a men’s event, some larger host nations would profit USD 100 million.
Consequently, it’s another way that, if word doesn’t get out about those events, the few countries that do host stand to gain more than others. They also receive the advantage of playing at home, where they should be more accustomed to and capable of adapting more readily.
“It’s an important part of the change of the next cycle, there’s going to be multiple teams hosting,” Grave stated.
Don’t see BCCI never releasing players to play in foreign competitions.
In the 2018 Women’s CPL, a record three Indian female cricket players will compete, but Grave doesn’t think their male counterparts will have as much time to play outside the IPL.
“Crickets are already played nonstop. Thus, I don’t think that will occur.”
The celebration will last months if the West Indies win the T20 World Cup.
Although CWI has established a stable financial position, the home team will need to do extra work to revive the game in the area.
“Playing for the West Indies has always brought me pride. We have excellent ties with the players, albeit they may not have expressed it as well as they could have.
“I can guarantee you, if the West Indies lift this trophy, a record third trophy in the T20, the party in the Caribbean will be going for many, many months afterward,” Grave said.
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