Pay $23 million or lose 2023 World Cup: ICC to BCCI

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has put the proverbial gun to the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), asking it to cough up US $23 million (roughly Rs 160 crore) before December 31 to compensate for the tax deductions incurred in hosting the 2016 World T20 in India.

The game’s global governing body, which is headed by former BCCI president Shashank Manohar, expects BCCI to compensate them for the tax deductions when India hosted the tournament two years ago and did not get a waiver from the central or state ministry. BCCI has been reminded of this demand, mentioned in the minutes of ICC’s board meeting in Singapore in October.

The Indian board, now governed by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators, has less than 10 days left to comply with the ICC’s demand. The international body has threatened that should BCCI fail to do the needful, it will deduct that amount from India’s revenue share for current financial year.


The ICC has also threatened that should India fail to comply, the governing body will look at “other options” to host the 2021 Champions Trophy and the 2023 50-over World Cup, which are scheduled to be played in India.

Star TV, the official broadcast rights holder of all ICC tournaments, had deducted all taxes before paying the global body for the World T20 played in 2016, and the latter now wants the BCCI to compensate for it.

The BCCI, in turn, has asked the ICC to share the minutes of any meeting where it is recorded that India had agreed to tax waiver. “The ICC hasn’t provided any minutes to the BCCI yet,” sources in the know told TOI.

The BCCI was headed by former president N Srinivasan then and at no point, say those in the know, did the Chennai-based administrator tell the ICC that BCCI would compensate them for tax deductions should they not receive a waiver from the government.

“And now, the ICC is shying away from sharing any minutes because they don’t have any. They just want to recover that money from India,” sources said. There are indications that this bickering over tax-related matters is only an extension of the acrimony that ICC’s present independent chairman and Srinivasan have shared over a period of time. “Time and again, Shashank has targeted BCCI for his own personal agenda,” say members.

The board, nevertheless, is convinced that should ICC fail to share the minutes, no payment will be made and should the ICC deduct the money from India’s revenue, legal recourse will be sought. “It’s become fashionable to blame BCCI,” said a board member.

“Biting the hand that feeds, eh? Is that what it has come down to? A sports body that has economic value primarily because it feeds on India’s commercial stake in the game is telling India that it cannot host a World Cup? And that too with an Indian heading that organisation right now? What a joke,” said a senior BCCI member.