New ICC finance model breaks up Big Three

Battles over the ICC events financial model have been drawn out over a period of years, starting with the ascension of Shashank Manohar as the governing body's chairman

It started with money, and it has ended with money. The "Big Three" financial model drawn up by the boards of India, England and Australia unveiled amid much consternation three years ago is no more, replaced by a plan to vastly reduce the BCCI's share of ICC revenue and offer identical amounts to seven of the game's Full Member nations.

After a week of intense negotiations that saw the BCCI's opposition to change outmaneuvered by the collective will of the rest, the amount of ICC revenue to be handed out to each nation is now as follows. The BCCI will receive US$293m across the eight-year cycle, the ECB US$143m, Zimbabwe Cricket US$94m and the remaining seven Full Members US$132m each. Associate Members will receive total funding of US$280m.

While this distribution is not a complete rollback to the equal funding from ICC events that Full Members used to receive, it is a considerable distance from the US$440 million the BCCI stood to earn under the Big Three model. The distribution to the ECB has reduced marginally from around $US150 million, while Cricket Australia's share is similar to what it previously received, albeit now in line with those afforded to South Africa, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies. These changes were passed by 14 votes to one, with the BCCI the sole dissenter.

Battles over the ICC events financial model have been drawn out over a period of years, starting with the ascension of Shashank Manohar as the governing body's chairman following the exit of his predecessor and rival N Srinivasan, widely considered the Big Three's chief architect. Manohar stunned the cricket world by stating his intent to resign earlier this year, but was cajoled into staying on until the ICC annual conference in June, where the above changes are set to be ratified.

"This is another step forward for world cricket and I look forward to concluding the work at the Annual Conference," Manohar stated in an ICC release. "I am confident we can provide a strong foundation for the sport to grow and improve globally in the future through the adoption of the revised financial model and governance structure."

The governance structure of which Manohar spoke was the other major outcome from this week's round of meetings in Dubai. The ICC's constitution is to be extensively redrawn, with numerous changes to the way the global game is run and the way that the performance and eligibility of member nations are assessed. These constitutional changes, which were passed by 12 votes to two, include:

• Opening a pathway to include additional Full Members in the future subject to meeting membership criteria
• Removing the Affiliate level of membership so there are only two levels; Full Member and Associate Member
• Introducing an independent female director to the board
• Introducing membership criteria and forming a Membership Committee to consider membership applications
• Introducing a deputy chairman of the board who will be a sitting director elected by the board to stand in for the chairman in the event that he or she is unable to fulfil their duties
• Equally weighting votes for all board members regardless of membership status
• Entitling all members to attend the Annual General Meeting

At the same time as the financial and governance changes were being debated and ultimately passed, talks continued on greater context for international cricket, via the creation of a Test match Championship and an ODI league. Progress on this front has slowed, partly due to discussions around the impact of windows for domestic Twenty20 tournaments around the world, most recently the competition announced by South Africa.

More promising was an acknowledgement by the BCCI that it will reconsider its longstanding opposition to cricket's inclusion in the Olympics, a move that other members of the ICC Chief Executives Committee are strongly in favour of pursuing. There was also further discussion of efforts to return international cricket to Pakistan after a gap of eight years. The ICC's chief executive David Richardson was grateful for the amount of progress made.

"It has been a very productive week," he said. "Progress has been made on a number of significant issues, in particular around international cricket structures. Efforts to find a solution, enhancing the context of international bilateral cricket and retaining the relevance of the international game, will continue."

Reaction to the game's new landscape is likely to be varied, much as the Big Three model resulted in heated discussion around the world. In particular, the world awaits the BCCI's response with interest.

Khalid Latif unhappy with PCB's tribunal

Khalid Latif, through his lawyer, has stated his objections to the composition of the PCB's tribunal

Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif, provisionally suspended for alleged involvement in the PSL spot-fixing scandal, has refused to appear before the PCB's anti-corruption panel, citing concerns about the fairness of the investigation.

Latif's lawyer also objected to the three-man tribunal constituted to the hear the case, in which Latif stands charged of six breaches of the anti-corruption code during the PSL earlier this year.

Latif was issued a fresh notice on April 17 by the PCB, asking him to appear for another interview before its Security and Vigilance Department. He had already been charged with serious breaches of the PCB's anti-corruption code during the PSL in February, and was provisionally suspended for alleged misdemeanours and sent home from the tournament with immediate effect.

He had already challenged those charges and is set to be heard before a three-man tribunal on May 5. The PCB also appear to have found fresh leads in their ongoing investigation in the second edition of PSL.

"We are working on filing an appeal against the constitution of the tribunal which is not made in the line of fairness and natural justice," Latif's lawyer Badar Alam told ESPNcricinfo. "All three members have been associated with the PCB in various capacities and have been beneficiaries from the PCB. Most recently, Wasim Bari was the Pakistan team manager. We protested this and even challenged it in the Lahore High Court but the writ was rejected by the Honourable Court. But before the next hearing we are planning to lodge an appeal to have a stay order against proceedings."

All three members of the tribunal have been closely involved with the PCB in the past. Wasim Bari, as Alam stated, was the Pakistan team manager as recently as Pakistan's New Zealand and Australia tours that concluded in January this year. Lt General Tauqir Zia was the chairman of the PCB until 2003, while Asghar Haider, who completes the tribunal, has served as a legal advisor to the PCB.

The PCB denied that Khalid Latif or his lawyer had raised any objections previously. "They at the preliminary hearing failed to raise any objection to the members of the tribunal. Therefore, now their reaction is solely an afterthought, and clearly an attempt to delay proceedings," the PCB's legal advisor, Taffazul Haider Rizvi, told ESPNcricinfo, "The writ petition filed by them in the Lahore High Court also stands dismissed by the Honourable Court and so now, they are raising frivolous objections to proceedings. As far as the tribunal is concerned, it was formed according to the PCB's Anti- Corruption Code with persons of impeccable repute as its members."

The news about the corruption in PSL broke on the second day of the second edition of the league on April 10. Since then, PCB's senior General Manager Vigilance, Azam Khan, has been following through on the investigation. The letter was written to the PCB chairman by Latif as a response to the second demand notice.

The PCB has been following and implementing an anti-corruption code which is in line with the International Cricket Council's (ICC) code. There are minor changes in various clauses to adjust for Pakistan's unique circumstances, and the ranges of sanctions for wrongdoing are stricter than the ones laid down in the international code.

According to the code, the PCB chairman has the right to appoint a three-man tribunal with any appropriate external lawyers/cricketers/experts as members of the Anti- Corruption Tribunal. The appointed members must be independent of the parties and have had no prior involvement with the case they are arbitrating.

Pakistan call off Bangladesh tour

File photo - Pakistan have visited Bangladesh twice, without being visited in return

Pakistan will not tour Bangladesh this year as per schedule; the PCB said the series has been postponed indefinitely by mutual consent. Pakistan was to play two Tests, three ODIs and a T20I series in Bangladesh in July and August.

"We had spoken about the possibility of hosting them [Bangladesh in Pakistan] this year," PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan told ESPNcricinfo. "Pakistan have now toured Bangladesh twice without them reciprocating, and we feel we cannot tour Bangladesh for the third straight time. Therefore, we have decided to postpone the tour, and will explore another window in the next year or so."

Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2007-08, for a five-ODI series. Since then, Pakistan have toured Bangladesh twice, in 2011-12 and 2015. The PCB had invited Bangladesh for a two-match T20I series this year, only for the BCB to rebuff the invitation.

On Pakistan's last visit to Bangladesh in 2015, the PCB had reportedly taken US$ 325,000 and justified it by saying the series had "technically" been Pakistan's home series. This year the BCB rejected all such proposals to share revenue, though it was open to playing at a neutral venue if necessary.

The PCB, however, was not keen on that option. It is understood the Pakistan board feels that hosting teams like Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in the UAE - its adopted home - is not financially viable.

Relations between the Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have been sour in the past. During the Zaka Ashraf regime, the PCB had stopped communication with the BCB and barred its cricketers - who had already been auctioned to various teams - from featuring in the Bangladesh Premier League.

Bangladesh were the fourth team - after West Indies, Ireland and Sri Lanka - to refuse to travel to Pakistan in the last two years. Nevertheless, the PCB is looking to build on hosting an incident-free PSL final in Lahore in March by inviting a team of international cricketers to play a T20 series in September. However, even the PSL final - touted a success - was marred by Quetta Gladiators' entire foreign contingent deciding against travelling to Pakistan for the final.

In another development, members of the ICC board were briefed on the security situation in Pakistan. According to Shaharyar, Giles Clarke, the head of the ICC task force on Pakistan, confirmed that Lahore would host a World XI in September.

"We wanted to share the series between Lahore and Karachi but since the security assessment was focussed on Lahore only, it was decided to restrict the series to Lahore for now," Shaharyar said. "The presentation about the PSL final was well received and all members understand that the World XI tour will further pave the way for major international cricket in the country. They were supportive overall and we are looking forward to host some of the top players of the world."

Misbah thanks team for 'special gift'

Yasir Shah's four wickets late on day four helped Pakistan gallop towards a win

If you had glanced at the weather forecast for Kingston last Friday, you might have been forgiven for wondering if the city had any business hosting a Test match. There was rain expected across all five days, with dry spells in between. When Misbah-ul-Haq looked at it, he knew there was only one plausible path to victory, which his team achieved shortly after lunch on the fifth day.

Misbah himself played no small part. Having contributed 99 not out to stretch the first-innings lead, which eventually proved decisive, he came out to biff two successive sixes to seal the game. Soon after, Misbah said the thought of this being his final series hadn't prevented him from playing without having fun.

Holder disappointed with batting show

Jason Holder, the West Indies captain, felt losing four wickets in the first session on the opening day didn't do them any favours for the rest of the Test.

"We didn't get enough runs in the first innings. Never really got a partnership going. Credit must go to Shane Dowrich and Roston Chase, but unfortunately we couldn't get in excess of 300 runs, which we needed to do.

"Yasir Shah did bowl well in the second innings but we could have batted a lot better. From the position we were in last evening, if was always going to be difficult to come out on the fifth day and try to survive Yasir."

"If you're not enjoying yourself, then there's no point of playing. I'm not the kind of person who would linger on if I wasn't having fun," he said. "These wins are special, and this is one more Test match that the team has given to me as a gift."

While the batsmen's role in giving a first-innings cushion can't be overstated, it was the bowlers who ensured victory was possible despite losing almost all of the second day to rain. "With tricky weather, the idea was to win the toss and bowl first," he said. "We just had one chance to get them out quickly and then play one good innings. Otherwise it wasn't going to be possible.

"We knew that it was going to be tough batting on the fifth day. I think the bowlers did very well. In the first innings (Mohammad) Amir, especially, his spell was crucial. In the second innings, again Amir and especially Yasir's spell was incredible. Getting six wickets this morning in no time was the game changer."

The one worry Pakistan could have is that going in with just one spin bowler risks overworking the faster bowlers. This concern, however, did not manifest itself during the game, with West Indies lasting just 147.4 overs across both innings.

With 19-year old Shadab Khan, who impressed during the limited-overs leg of the series, waiting in the wings, Misbah admitted that playing a second legspinner was a possibility, but said a call would only be taken after assessing the conditions.

"Our combination will depend on the conditions we get, and especially how the pitch looks before the Test match," he said. "This pitch had a lot of moisture and that is why we opted to bowl first and go with three seamers. With our combination, it's difficult, it's difficult to sneak in the fifth bowler, especially since we have six specialist batsmen, so having three fast bowlers and two spinners becomes tricky."

Marsh LBW correctly tracked - EagleEye

Mitchell Marsh's lbw in Perth caused considerable discussion

Mitchell Marsh's hotly-debated LBW on the final day of the Perth Test was correctly tracked from its initial point of impact on the allrounder's front toe, the custodians of EagleEye have confirmed.

The decision, which was reversed from Aleem Dar's initial verdict of not out due to the widening of the zone in which the stumps can be projected to hit by the ICC earlier this year, was openly questioned by a succession of television commentators and also Australia's captain, Steven Smith, who said it was like Kagiso Rabada was bowling "leg-spin".

The former captain Michael Clarke stated on Channel Nine's cricket coverage that he was certain the ball was going down the leg side. "I was certain that was missing the stumps," Clarke said. "When you look at that replay, I thought it was definitely swinging too far and missing the leg stump.

"He'll be really disappointed with that. It has clipped his toe, then clipped his pad, and then got onto the bat. But what I don't agree with is the line of the delivery once the ball hits him on the toe ... I believe the line of that delivery is going down and missing leg stump."

Similar sentiments were echoed by Clarke's predecessor Ricky Ponting, while another former captain in Mark Taylor - until recently a member of the ICC cricket committee that has long advocated the use of the DRS and ball-tracking - offered his own criticism of the projection.

However Ian Taylor, head of the New Zealand company Animation Research that provides EagleEye for Nine's broadcast, told ESPNcricinfo that the tracking used for Marsh's dismissal had been reviewed and not found to be in error, either in terms of the projection reached or the process used to get there.

"I talked to my guys [in Perth] and we talked to the ICC and showed the process we went through, and we're happy with it," Taylor said. "They had a really good pitching point off the pitch, and a really good contact point on the shoe, it wasn't on the pad. They felt confident they could extrapolate from those two points to make the prediction.

"They have the choice there of saying they think there was insufficient data, but they saw it really clearly and it didn't continue out on that line [down leg], it hit the foot right in front of middle stump. We saw the impact on the toe before anyone else did, and we saw the impact on the toe with our four cameras, and our guys confirmed it with the HotSpot guys sitting with them. That's where the projection was made, the line from the bounce to the foot, to the stumps."

Taylor offered an open invitation to any sceptical commentators, officials or even umpires to visit the technology operators and see things for themselves - not unlike the process by which the BCCI recently approved the use of ball-tracking as part of the DRS, a system to be used in the just-begun Test series between India and England.

"What surprises me is so many people can make a call straight away with just seeing the replay from the end-on view, when we're going through four super slo-mo cameras and HotSpot," Taylor said. "That was the process they went through. I fully respect the guys who spent their whole careers out in the middle, it's an instinct they have and that umpires have.

"We definitely don't dismiss that and we take very seriously the views of those people. Our doors were open to all of the commentators to come down at lunchtime - we had people wait there because we thought someone might. We've also re-affirmed to the ICC and all the umpires as well that the door is always open, come on down and talk it through so we all learn from it."

Technology operators have advocated for some time that either the third umpire or an ICC-accredited official sit alongside those working HotSpot, EagleEye/HawkEye or other devices to provide clearer lines of accountability.

"The issue for us is if we did this properly with a third umpire who was trained and there [with the technology operators], he could have made the call that my guys made," he said. "That's what we talk about - here's all the information we've got, and you make a call whether you want us to project this on or not, because you're an umpire.

"The argument we have about a third umpire or ICC-accredited person who sits with our guys, the third umpire sitting up in the box does not know what's going on down in our room. Who's talking, what we're seeing, what we're looking at, what we're replaying and what our thought process is. We've always argued if we had a fully qualified person from the ICC sitting in that room with everybody, we would go with that."

Australia lacking self-belief - Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith felt that the culture and the respect that was always a part of the Australian team's environment has been missing lately

"Something is not right" in Australian cricket, according to former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who described his greatest rivals as being in "turmoil," following their recent spare of losses. Graeme Smith said he felt a waning culture was among the reasons for Australia's troubles, but also named the rotation policy, the pressure on Steven Smith and a strengthening South Africa as contributing factors.

"There is obviously a lack of confidence that has developed, maybe through these losses, and the way they collapsed and fell away in that Perth Test. To me, it showed that, maybe, there is a lack of confidence or self-belief in that set-up at the moment. It does show me that there is something that's not right there," Graeme Smith said on the day he and former Australia captain Bill Lawry were made honourees of the Bradman Foundation, at a gala dinner at the SCG.

After a 3-0 defeat in the Test series in Sri Lanka, Australia rallied to win the ODIs and T20Is, but then took a young side to play in South Africa, where they were whitewashed 5-0 in the ODI series. Graeme Smith believed that was where the cracks started to show, and that they have only widened after the defeat in the first Test.

"I was quite surprised at some of the selections that came to South Africa in the one-day series, and that hurt them badly. They lost 5-0," Graeme Smith said. "For me, [the Australian team] was obviously built on the skill factor, but it was always built on a hardness, a really strong respect and culture for that Australian environment. I wonder whether it's this whole rotation policy, whether some of that has been lost: that culture, that respect within the environment has been lost with so many different players coming through the system."

Given the increasingly busy international schedule, most teams - South Africa included - seek to rest players, but Australia's decision to leave their first-choice attack at home for the South Africa ODIs was surprising. They may have to do more of the same in the near future, having packed as much cricket as possible into the home summer. Towards the end of the 2016-17 season, Australia's T20 side will play against Sri Lanka 16 hours before the Test team plays against India in a fixture collision Graeme Smith thinks will only further contribute to culture dilution.

"I was surprised at this method of James Sutherland looking to play a Test and T20 at the same time. It's very un-Australian for me," Graeme Smith said. "Playing for Australia was something that was always preached to be how proud people were. It just seems like that is in turmoil a little bit at the moment."

In the middle of that mess is Steven Smith, a fairly new captain. Graeme Smith was once in a similar position, and understands what it's like to be trying to find your place as a leader. "I can resonate with being in that position as a new captain. You have a lot to figure out, and I think you only have to pick up a book or a newspaper to realise there was quite a polarised, abrasive culture within the Australian set-up before he took over," Graeme Smith said. "He is probably rebuilding, trying to create his own leadership style - how he wants the team to play, what are the type of players he wants to select - he's probably trying to work that out. Results have gone against him in Sri Lanka, he lost the ODI series in South Africa, and now the first Test at home. He was probably banking on being really strong at home this summer to resurrect things. He has got to ask a lot of questions."

One of them is whether David Warner, who led the side to limited-overs victories in Sri Lanka, is better suited to the job. "There will be natural debate on who is the right person to lead - should it be the old style, brash David Warner approach, or Steve Smith. He has to overcome a fair few things, but, hopefully, he'll be able to do that really quickly," Graeme Smith said.

Another is how Steven Smith's South African counterpart, Faf du Plessis, who has only captained in three Tests, only one away from home, and had only a three-man attack to work with, in the words of Graeme, "outdid him". Du Plessis, who is leading in AB de Villiers' injury-forced absence, continues to make a strong case for being given the role full-time, and it appears he has the backing of Graeme Smith too.

"Faf has developed hugely of late, he has grown into the role. There was a real void in South African cricket in terms of leadership over the last period. The intellectual capacity around the team in terms of coaching and the selection - they had a three-captain type system and he has stepped in through injuries from AB, and Hash stepping aside, and he has slowly gained the respect and grown himself," Graeme Smith said. "Tactically, he outdid Steve Smith on the weekend, the players respect him, he seems to get the best out of them and there is almost a bit of leadership traction and strength developing again in the South African team, which was Iacking through the three-captaincy system and the coaching set-up, and he is slowly bringing that back together."

Peterson retires from all forms of cricket

Robin Peterson played 15 Tests, 79 ODIs and 21 T20Is

Robin Peterson, the former South Africa allrounder, has announced his retirement from all cricket. He made his South Africa debut during the Champions Trophy in 2002, and played 15 Tests, 79 ODIs and 21 T20Is, taking 137 international wickets and also scoring four half-centuries.

Peterson, 37, was a useful member of South Africa's side with his restrictive left-arm spin and clean lower-order hitting. His career highlights include six wickets in the Perth Test of December 2012 to help South Africa clinch a series win in Australia, a crucial all-round display (61 in the first innings and 4 for 74 in the third innings) to help beat India in Durban in December 2013, and 15 wickets at 15.86 in the 2011 World Cup to finish as South Africa's top wicket-taker in the tournament.

"It is with mixed emotions and fond memories that I would like to announce my retirement from professional cricket," Peterson said. "It's been an incredible journey with so many people that have supported and encouraged me along the way. First and foremost I'd like to thank all my team-mates for all the special memories they've helped create along the way, as well as all the coaches that have played a role in my development and as mentors throughout my career.

"I'd like to thank Eastern Province and Warriors cricket for giving me an opportunity and seeing something in me that I didn't think existed, and Cobras Cricket for the wonderful years I've spent down In Cape Town. I'd also like to thank the VKB Knights for allowing me into their space and for the management at Free State cricket that have handled my decision with impeccable professionalism and a human touch.

"To the fans I'd like to say a special thanks for always making me proud to represent you guys while representing the Proteas and our wonderful country. I'd like to thank my agent Arthur Turner for all his support too.

"Lastly I'd like to mention my family for their unwavering support and love shown throughout my career and introducing me to a game I'll continue to love forever. It's been an exciting journey for me and I'm looking forward to creating more wonderful memories pursuing other interests while spending time with my wife Portia and son Harper."