Broadcast worries for ICC ahead of World Test League

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is negotiating with ESPN Star Sports over the World Test League. The ICC broadcasters are apparently not too excited with the new concept. The world body wants to hold the Test League play-off in place of the Champions Trophy.

Cramped for a suitable window to hold the Test league, the ICC has been mulling scrapping the Champions Trophy and stage the five-day competition during that space. The ICC has been holding discussions with its official media partners over this championship.

Sources in the know say ESPN pays about $70 million for the biannual Champions Trophy and the ICC is believed to have told the broadcasters to telecast the Test for the same price.

But sources say ESPN, which has a contract till 2015, is not too excited and is offering to pay far less than the Champions Trophy fees. When contacted, an ESPN spokesman refused to comment.

An ICC spokesperson said, “It’s work in progress.” The decision to do away with the Champions Trophy is due of the thinking that the 50-50 championship is not serving any purpose apart from facilitating revenue for minnows like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.

Immediately after recent the chief executives’ committee (CEC) meeting in Dubai, the ICC announced the start of the ODI league, but held back the announcement of the Test league. The CEC decided to reconstitute its working group comprising David Collier (England and Wales Cricket Board), Nishantha Ranatunga (Sri Lanka Cricket), N Srinivasan (Board of Control for Cricket in India), James Sutherland (Cricket Australia) and David Richardson (ICC GM-Cricket) to consider the rules, regulations and points system for the new Test and ODI leagues.

The working group, which previously made recommendations on the leagues and ICC’s global event calendar, also includes top statistician and ICC cricket committee member David Kendix.

Kendix, who devised the ICC rankings system, will help the working group evolve a suitable points system. The ICC said the group will report back in January 2011. At this stage, the plan is to hold the Test league in 2013. As a matter of fact, the next Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held then. The thinking among the ICC members is to hold one ICC event a year.

India to host 2016 World T20
India is all set to host the World Cup early next year and there’s more good news. The country will also host the World Twenty20 in 2016. Sri Lanka will host the next edition of the event in 2012, while Bangladesh will host the competition in 2014.