ICC welcomes BCCI's participation in the Champions Trophy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed their team’s participation in the Champions Trophy in England and Wales on Sunday after initially delaying the release of the squad following the conflict with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The dispute between the BCCI and the ICC was in regards to a change in the revenue-sharing model released by the international governing council earlier last month. The dispute intensified when the Indian cricketing board failed to name the squad in time on April 25 for their bid to defend the Champions Trophy title.

“The Board unanimously authorised the acting honorary secretary of the BCCI to continue negotiations with the ICC in the best interest of the BCCI while keeping its legal options open,” an official was quoted as saying after the Special General Meeting. “The BCCI… unanimously decided that the Indian cricket team will participate in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. The all-India, senior selection meeting, will be held tomorrow, May 8, in New Delhi to pick the team.”

BCCI could not agree to the conditions put forth by the ICC after the meeting where most of the nations agreed with the new revenue model. At last month’s ICC meeting, the BCCI was outvoted 13-1 in its bid to halt the revised deal which slashes the board’s share from the global events.

The Indian board was unfazed by the $293 million, down from the $570 millions it would get under 2014’s arrangement, and thus didn’t name the squad dishonouring hte deadline set by the ICC for Champions Trophy squad announcement.

BCCI’s acting secretary Amitabh Choudary will now continue his bid to negotiate with the world governing body to get a bigger share from ICC’s revenues in the next cycle.

“The ICC welcomes the unanimous decision from the BCCI special general meeting this morning to confirm the participation of defending champions India in next month’s Champions Trophy,” the ICC said in a statement.

“The hundreds of millions of cricket fans around the world just want to see good cricket and now we can all look forward to a superb event in England and Wales starting on 1 June.”

The Committee of Administrators (CoA), who are currently supervising BCCI’s operations instructed the board to continue their preparations in a bid to defend the title.

“We wanted them to take a middle ground and strive for a negotiated outcome with the ICC,” a COA source told Reuters. “We are glad that we have achieved that and the team will play in the Champions Trophy.”