BCCI’s influence over the ICC

[jnaveen1980]

Assumptions again lol why are Aussies, English and South Africans also complaining about the advantages then. Are they jobless too? Everyone can see the facts.

They were only talking about this CT 2025. Nobody said India gets easy team at the last. You are just making that up. This is like one of those trump fan conspiracy theory.

 

[Vikram1989]

Pak played the ultimate minnow bng in 2019 wc as last game and required to beat them by 500 runs or so to qualify for the semis.Its a great help to have minnow at the back end if u really suck and loosing to other minnows like wi in 10 overs in ur first match .Damn Indian team last time qualified to next stage on last match basis in 99 wc .

I will say its icc conspiracy not to have minnows at first for Indian fixtures.If india plays all the tough opponents at later stage , we should peak right before the knock outs and we should be the champions.Damn icc and its conspiracies to undermine Indian teams.

 

[jnaveen1980]

So do you see any Indians crying anti-India conspiracy during WC2023 like some other loser countries are doing now during CT2025 ?




This scenario where the last game ends up being a disrupter is much more likely to happen in a short format especially when there is rain involved. Not in a longer format simply becuase it is much harder to undo NRR accumulated over twice the number of match that you play in say the CT. Thats just simple math and it is extremely rare.




When was the last time India relied on NRR to qualify into knockout rounds ? We relentlessly beat the crap out of all teams including the big teams in the initial rounds. Check our WC record it is fantastic



It will only hurt Pakistani's more as they are an extremely poor team in big tournaments and would add more pressure and get into a must win situation. See post above about 2003 WC.

Of all the tricks he pulled is claiming he is a NZ fan lol We are supposed to believe that.

 

[manzoor.syed]

Of all the tricks he pulled is claiming he is a NZ fan lol We are supposed to believe that.

Lmao, the mindset of some of the people on here baffles me. I’m born and raised in NZ and have lived here my entire life.

Suddenly anyone who criticizes Indias advantages has to be Pakistani?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Lmao, the mindset of some of the people on here baffles me. I’m born and raised in NZ and have lived here my entire life.

Suddenly anyone who criticizes Indias advantages has to be Pakistani?

Not everybody. The style of criticism is a give away. Elaborate conspiracy theory like this never comes from anywhere.

 

[Vikram1989]

Not everybody. The style of criticism is a give away. Elaborate conspiracy theory like this never comes from anywhere.

and evading/Ignoring the counter arguments, repeating the same stuff

 

[uppercut]

Not everybody. The style of criticism is a give away. Elaborate conspiracy theory like this never comes from anywhere.

and evading/Ignoring the counter arguments, repeating the same stuff

and yet promptly getting stuck along the way and getting exposed lol

 

[manzoor.syed]

Not everybody. The style of criticism is a give away. Elaborate conspiracy theory like this never comes from anywhere.

Keep making assumptions, keep involving Pakistan 24/7 anything else I’ve missed?

 

[jnaveen1980]

Are you gonna ask for my birth certificate and Passport next?

Keep making assumptions, keep involving Pakistan 24/7 anything else I’ve missed?

When you are allowed to make up assumptions and conspiracy theories out of thin air we are allowed to do as well except mine is more provable than your assumption.

 

[jnaveen1980]

and evading/Ignoring the counter arguments, repeating the same stuff

It is waste of time countering conpiracy theories with bullet points. We just have to "discredit the witness" and move on. We can do it one or two lines. No need of essays.

 

[sweep_shot]

Lmao, the mindset of some of the people on here baffles me. I’m born and raised in NZ and have lived here my entire life.

Suddenly anyone who criticizes Indias advantages has to be Pakistani?

You are finally experiencing what we experience month after month on PP. That is Indian obnoxiousness.

Engaging with these Indians feels like a gym workout.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

When you are allowed to make up assumptions and conspiracy theories out of thin air we are allowed to do as well except mine is more provable than your assumption.

Yeah, your theories are provable.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

It is waste of time countering conpiracy theories with bullet points. We just have to "discredit the witness" and move on. We can do it one or two lines. No need of essays.

Aww, but you are not moving on, you keep coming back to these threads, writing needless essays just to stroke your ego. And when all else fails, like others, you fall back on your favorite subject which is Pakistan.

Conspiracy theories or not he was discussing the topic at hand, he wasn't going personal and asking your nationality lol. When that guy said he was a New Zealand fan, you should have just accepted it and continued the debate. There is no way for anyone here to prove their nationality, even you can't prove that you are an Indian so cut it down

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Lol not once did I say they “always do” I’ve been saying “tend to” from the start. Go up and check and see the trends for yourself.

I only brought up 2007 era as that is when the IPL was getting started and the BCCI and ICC started getting cosy.
And let’s talk about that “intentional dodge” for 2007-2010. Bro that’s not intentional, that’s called I can’t handle getting exposed. That’s like saying you intentionally left your math test blank because you knew you’d fail anyways…

Rechecked the stats from 2007 T20 World Cup to 2024 T20 ( apologies ChatGPT did me dirty for a few of the previous stats but the trends still stand)

- 13 World Cups (7 times India got the last group match) 7/13

- Of the remaining 6 events (4 times India got the 2nd to last group match, of those 4 matches (2 were played on the last day of the tournament - double headers.

- We’re already at 11/13 or 9/13 depending on how you wanna look at the trends even after rechecking. Does that not show what “tends to happen” at ICC events?

- India more often then not get the last group game (over 53% chance).

- Theres 69% chance (9/13 - it will be on the last day of the group stage).

If it’s not on the last day, it will most likely be the second to last day. Only twice have India not played on the last group match day in the last 18 years across 13 events. (2014/2015)
2/13…

Can you tell me which other team in these 13 events has had a 70% chance that they will play on the last day of the tournament? (Normally the last group match unless it’s a double header). No other team comes close to the 70% chance. It’s deliberate from the ICC to favour them in case things get complicated, like placing India and Pakistan in the same group for maximizing revenue which they have admitted to doing.

The trend shows ICC try accommodate Indias game as the last group game regardless of the day of the week. While your prime weekend slot point makes sense, I still want to know where in the ICC rule book does it say that the last group game of the tournament needs to happen on a Sunday?

They decide that India should get the last group match or group day first (70% chances) and then may schedule it around a Sunday for maximum revenue.

Finals, Semis and big matches make sense over the weekend but not group stage games often vs lower ranked teams (especially in the 2020s)

If anyone is switching goal posts it’s you… going from weekends to national holidays, What’s comes next schedules being decided based on numerology and astrology too?

Still no comment on the 2021 t20 wc scheduling which India hosted? Picking who to play and when while most teams had played 3, India had only played 1.

Still no comment on the last group opponent? We can see that India tends to play the last group match often on Sundays. India also tends to play Pakistan on Sundays.

Why has the ICC never scheduled an India vs Pakistan game as the last group game since 2003 that too on a Sunday??

It’s obvious it’s too risky for them to have the biggest game last which is why since the 2020s India tend to play the likes of Namibia, Zimbabwe or Netherlands at the end so if it comes to NRR they can pounce.

Face it: India gets scheduling advantages, and the ICC bends over backwards for them. You can keep denying it all you want, but the data doesn’t lie. Unlike your excuses.

You act as if the ICC is run by saints and that Jay shah just happens to be in charge ‘by chance’. At this point just rename the ICC to BCCI and save everyone the fake shock.

South Africa who hosted 2009 Champions trophy, played all their group matches at same ground - Centurion ground.
3 matches.
There was a semi final also played in Centurion.
The final was in Centurion.


Here you go, hopefully you've purchased a big beach towel....when are you starting your sook on the above data ?

Why did South africa not make it out of the group phase/enter semis/enter finals/win tournament?

 

[jnaveen1980]

South Africa who hosted 2009 Champions trophy, played all their group matches at same ground - Centurion ground.
3 matches.
There was a semi final also played in Centurion.
The final was in Centurion.


Here you go, hopefully you've purchased a big beach towel....when are you starting your sook on the above data ?

Why did South africa not make it out of the group phase/enter semis/enter finals/win tournament?

He has made a stupid conspiracy theory. Now just to defend it he is digging the hole deeper and deeper.

 

[jnaveen1980]

BCCI is enoromously helping so many associate sides. THey arrange tours to countries like Srilanka even South Africa whenever they are in need of money. They conduct programs in India for betterment of associate cricket in India. The cricket boards these guys support are totally useless. Have they done anything useful to cricket? What is their contribution to the game cricket? Pretty much nothing. Look at Bangladesh. They didn't even pay the bus driver and he refused to hand over the bags to players. But they have the gall to make fun of BCCI.

 

[BouncerGuy]

No Personal Remarks. Talk about the topic

 

[Cricket Warrior]

The former West Indies international Andy Roberts criticizes ICC for favoring BCCI in ICC Champions Trophy 2025, claiming India had an unfair advantage by playing all games in Dubai:

“Something’s got to give… India can’t get everything. The ICC must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played,"

“At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. How can a team not travel during a tournament?"

“To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, ‘listen there should be no no-balls and wides,’ take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India,"

 

[sweep_shot]

The former West Indies international Andy Roberts criticizes ICC for favoring BCCI in ICC Champions Trophy 2025, claiming India had an unfair advantage by playing all games in Dubai:

“Something’s got to give… India can’t get everything. The ICC must say no to India at times. India even had an advantage at last year’s T20 World Cup, where they knew in advance where their semi-final would be played,"

“At the Champions Trophy, India did not have to travel at all. How can a team not travel during a tournament?"

“To me, the ICC stands for the Indian Cricket Board. India dictates everything. If tomorrow, India says, ‘listen there should be no no-balls and wides,’ take my word, the ICC will find a way to satisfy India,"

Andy Robert tells it like it is.

Caribbean legend.

 

[Hitman]

Through its financial strength, political connections and media, India has long had a considerable influence over how cricket is played, broadcast and governed across the globe.

Concerns over what that means for other competing nations have increased following the unopposed election of the politically-connected Jay Shah as the chair of the International Cricket Council (ICC) last December. Shah still serves as secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).


Billion-dollar stake in ICC

The BCCI is the richest cricket board in the world and runs the Indian Premier League (IPL), one of sport's richest and most successful competitions. Between 2024 and 2027, it is projected to earn $1.15 billion (€1 billion) — nearly 39% of the ICC's total annual revenue.

This comes largely from the huge sums broadcasters pay for television rights for a market of over 1.4 billion people, allowing India to shape everything from tournament schedules to ICC media rights.


IPL influence

The IPL is deeply entwined with Indian politics. It is overseen by the BCCI, with the competition's current chairman Arun Dhumal —brother of lawmaker Anurag Thakur of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party — underscoring the direct overlap between political power and cricket governance. Thakur, himself, a former BCCI president, was removed in 2017 by the Supreme Court over mismanagement concerns.
Political influence in the IPL extends beyond leadership. Pakistani players, who featured in the 2008 inaugural season, have been effectively barred ever since the Mumbai terror attacks later that year. In response, the Indian government revoked their visas, and the BCCI quietly excluded them from all future player auctions.

Even IPL scheduling reflects political realities. In 2009, the entire tournament was shifted to South Africa, and in 2014, 20 matches were moved to the United Arab Emirates, as the Indian government said it couldn't guarantee security during national elections. The IPL's alignment with state priorities illustrates how cricket in India often mirrors — and serves — political interests.


Jay Shah and the confluence of cricket and politics

The election of Shah, who is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, as ICC chair, has fueled concerns about the BCCI's level of control over global cricket.

This dual role breaks with prior norms, where the ICC chair was expected to be independent from any national cricket board. Critics have argued that this undermines the ICC's role as a neutral global governing body.

When Shah's predecessor, Greg Barclay, was elected to the post in 2020, he resigned as chair of New Zealand Cricket. When he stepped down as ICC chair four years later, he implicitly criticized his successor for not following suit.

"We're really lucky to have India," Barclay said in an interview with UK newspaper The Telegraph in December. "They're a massive contributor to the game across all the measures, but one country having that amount of power and influence does distort a whole lot of other outcomes, which is not necessarily helpful in terms of that global growth."

Shah has not commented on his possible conflicts of interest since his appointment in December. At the time, he said: "I am committed to working closely with the ICC team and all of our member nations to further globalize cricket."


Coach and politician

Gautam Gambhir, former Indian opener and current head coach of the national team, has also played a prominent dual role in both cricket and politics. In 2019, he joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, saying: "I have been influenced by the prime minister (Narendra Modi), his vision for the country. This is a fabulous platform for me to do something for the country."

In March 2024, he announced his exit from active politics to return full-time to cricket, before taking on the head coach role for the national team.

Following a deadly attack in Kashmir in 2025, Gambhir called for a complete freeze on bilateral cricket with Pakistan. He argued that national security should take precedence over sporting diplomacy — though this was not a stance the BCCI or BJP themselves spoke of publicly.


India, Pakistan relations fraught

India's influence in cricket is visible in its relationship with Pakistan. The two countries have not played a bilateral series since 2013, largely due to political tensions following military escalations and terror-related incidents.

Shah's influence after being appointed chair of cricket's global governing body was clearly shown at the start of 2025.

While Pakistan had participated in the 2023 ICC World Cup held in India under heavy security restrictions, in November 2024 India's government refused permission for their cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy the following year.

After a series of compromises and negotiations, the PCB agreed to a reciprocal deal where Pakistan's matches in ICC events hosted by India for the next five years would also be played at neutral venues, under Shah's watch. But Lahore was denied hosting the Champions Trophy final, after India qualified for the showpiece.


Potential new ICC CEO could be Indian media mogul

According to a May 2025 investigation by British daily The Guardian, Sanjog Gupta, head of sports at Jiostar — India's largest media conglomerate — is the leading candidate to become the next ICC CEO when Geoff Allardice vacates the role in July.

Jiostar holds a $3 billion broadcasting rights deal for ICC events. If Gupta assumes the role, both the ICC chair and CEO would be Indian nationals overseeing a structure where Indian broadcasters hold the largest financial stake.

India's rise as the superpower of world cricket is rooted in its financial weight, but it's now sustained by political influence and media control.

While this has brought modernization and commercialization to sport, it has also created a monopolistic structure that threatens the game's diversity and equity to the detriment of Pakistan and other, smaller cricketing nations.
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Link: https://www.dw.com/en/indias-grip-on-global-cricket-tightening/a-72549210​