Former India captain and team director Ravi Shastri has warned the other cricketing nations against taking advantage of the BCCI’s current mess. The Indian cricket board is undergoing sweeping changes due to Supreme Court appointed Lodha Committee’s recommendations, resulting in the removal of President Anurag Thakur and other senior officials.
“My warning to such people is: beware… This state of flux will not last for long. BCCI will be back where they belong very very soon. And that is why it is important that the BCCI stresses on the issues at hand,” Shastri told Cricbuzz.
Shastri clearly pointed to the majority of the ICC board members who, during the ICC meeting in Dubai earlier this month, had voted in favour of restructured revenue sharing model despite opposition from the BCCI. According to several reports, Pakistan, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, England and Australia all voted in favour of change in revenue distribution.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also backed the BCCI to demand a major chunk of revenue from the ICC.
“I was very pleased that the committee that went to Dubai for the ICC meeting really took up the issue with the ICC board. (Vikram) Limaye, Anirudh (Chaudhry) and Amitabh (Choudhary) – I’m glad they made the BCCI’s reservations very clear. In my mind, India deserve every penny that they get from ICC tournaments, simply because they are the Pied Pipers of world cricket,” he stressed.
“Something like 80% of revenues for these tournaments come from India. Then to say that India is the bully, because they are asking for extra share, is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve heard. I say this because the BCCI is not asking for 80%, they’re asking for a much lower percentage. They have every right to. You take India out of the equation, I’d like to see what kind of revenue will be left,” he added.
Shastri further said he is not backing the Indian cricket board because of the financial benefits he derives from the BCCI.
“That’s bul****. I’ve worked all around the world. If I am something today it is because of the opportunities the BCCI gave me, but not as a commentator. It is what the BCCI did for me as a player, a cricketer, people should get that clear in their minds. That is the most important role of a cricket board,” he concluded.