'ICC doesn't run cricket' - Ian Chappell lashes out at apex board for prioritizing commercial goals

The supreme cricket governing body International Cricket Council (ICC) holds a 50-over World Cup once every four years, the T20 World Cup once biannually and they have slated a four-year gap for the Champions Trophy to be held with the latest edition to commence from February 19, in Pakistan. Other than this, the apex board also hold the World Test Championship every two years, with two years comprising one cycle. 

The debate commenced when the reports of ICC mulling over bringing a two-tier system in Test cricket with the Test-playing nations bifurcated into groups of tier 1 and tier 2, respectively. Many condemned the move that it will harm the underprivileged boards such as West Indies and Afghanistan as the system will potentially cater to the needs of top clubs, that is India, Australia and England, who will be placed in tier 1. 

Joining the debate, the former Australia Captain, Ian Chappell, lambasted ICC for not bringing such a system prior and accused them of being an ‘event management company’. Chappell in his critique also cited the glaring aspect raised by the former West Indies cricketer, Michael Holding, where he urged the board to focus on cricket solely while exemplifying football federation FIFA. Furthermore, Chappell accused of being a puppet of a wealthy Indian cricket board and also scheduling events as per their whims and fancies. 

"On the subject of a two-tier Test system, former West Indies pace-bowling champion Michael Holding noted: 'For all its faults, at least FIFA actually runs soccer. The ICC must run cricket'. Therein lies a perplexing problem. The ICC doesn't run cricket, and unless there's a major change of heart, the financially desirable nations will continue to have a huge say in producing a self-serving schedule," Chappell wrote in his column for 'ESPNcricinfo'.

There should have been a two-tier Test system in place years ago: Chappell

Besides, Ian Chappell also discussed the financial propositions of the situation before and in the current situation of world cricket. While talking about the two-tier system for Tests, the former Australia legend believes that the system should have been already in full swing a few years ago. Moreover, he also iterated that only the major teams can sustain and compete in the long run in the Test format. Besides, he also added that the West Indies who have the potential to draw bigger crowds have not got much help from the ICC, which has left them staring down the barrel.

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"Then there's the major issue of the financial split. The big three -- India, Australia and England -- despite being the wealthiest cricket nations claim a large slice of the money divided among cricket bodies, and yet they agitate for an even larger share. India's powerful presence in the ICC is in direct proportion to their contribution of around 70% of cricket's income. It's a complex issue to which cricket hasn't found a workable solution. A proposal to split Test cricket into two divisions, which will ensure more high-stakes matches featuring bigger teams such as India, Australia and England, is under discussion,” he continued. 

"There should have been a two-tier Test system in place years ago. In reality, only a limited number of teams are capable of competing long-term in the five-day game. West Indies earned the right to financial assistance with their capacity to draw crowds, and it's criminal they've been allowed to languish," Chappell concluded.