The boards of South Africa and Sri Lanka’s cricket teams have expressed their delight at new ICC chairman Shashank Manohar’s comments about the Big Three, after he called India, Australia and England’s boards ‘bullies’.
Manohar said that he did not like the way the BCCI, ECB and CA took over the ICC last year, and that smaller boards should have equal say in the way the game is run, as well as benefit financially. As it stands, the Big Three reap the bulk of the benefits from the game.
Manohar, who is also the new BCCI president, has not been shy about condemning his own board’s actions in the past, and said of the ICC’s power trio: “I don’t agree with the three major countries bullying the ICC.”
Harron Lorgat, South Africa’s board chief, said in response: “I would be less than truthful if I did not express enormous delight at Mr Manohar’s comments.
“It is indeed refreshing to have read these comments and knowing the man, I am confident that he will change the ICC structures to make it a better place so that all ICC Members and international cricket can flourish.”
Sidath Wettimuny, the chairman of the interim committee that governs SLC, added: “Shashank has spoken as if he was looking from a more global perspective than a board perspective, which I think is the correct thing to do as an ICC president.
“It’s good to hear. He strikes me as a sensible man.”