ICC proposes change in Champions Trophy format, BCCI opposes: Report

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet again found itself at crossroads with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after global body’s proposal of changing the 50-over Champions Trophy format to Twenty20 for the next edition was opposed by the Indian board, according to a report in Times of India.

The suggestion to curtail the format by the ICC is believed to be forced by some member boards in order to make the Champions Trophy more marketable.

Representative image of ICC Champions trophy. AFP

According to the report, it is a desperate attempt from ICC to make up for the losses estimated in their proposed revenue distribution for member boards this financial cycle.

The 2021 Champions Trophy is scheduled to be hosted by India.

However, the ICC's proposal hasn't gone down well with the BCCI, adding on to the ever-widening differences between the two boards. Things have been sour ever since the ICC's proposition to move the tournament out of India owing to the absence of any tax exemption.

During the ICC board meeting in February there was hesitation expressed around the absence of tax exemption from the Indian government over ICC events that were scheduled to be hosted in India, post which the international board searched for alternative countries in a similar time zone to host the event, which prompted a rather unpleasant reaction from the Indian board.

The report also quotes a source saying, “The format cannot and will not change. The Champions Trophy was introduced as part of the vision of our former president Jagmohan Dalmiya and it’ll be his fifth anniversary when the tournament is hosted by India. This (proposed) move has been brought to the notice of the (BCCI) members and should the ICC persist, there’ll be a strong opposition from India."

Sources also told The Times of India that given Dalmiya's significance as a global leader of the game, his hometown of Kolkata has been granted the honour of hosting the Champions Trophy final by the BCCI