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Cape Town - Statements made by the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board Nazmul Hassan have struck fresh blows to the hope of reforming the ICC and cricket as a whole as they intend to oppose cutting the BCCI's share of revenue.
Under the proposed restructuring India would still receive the biggest share of revenue but would see their cut reduced, while other changes would see the voting power of bigger nations reduced in favour of a more even system.
The BCCI stand to lose $180-190 million if the proposed changes to the current financial model are approved.
Hassan met with the BCCI's Committee of Administrators (CoA) chief Vinod Rai in Delhi with the India cricket body determined to dissuade some smaller nations to vote against the proposed changes to the ICC's constitution at the next board meeting.
According to PTI, Hassan said after his meeting with the CoA: "Everybody is trying to find a middle path to solve [the revenue structure problem] in a more amicable manner.
"We don't want any member country to get hurt. Especially India as they have always supported us. If India becomes weak, we also become weak."
Hassan says that he is in favour of more equitable distribution of revenue but doesn't feel that India's share should be cut. Quite how an uneven system can be made more equitable without slashing the portion allotted to the nation who benefit the most from the inequality is not something Hassan can articulate.
The BCB head said: "I was a party to the decision when N Srinivasan was there [as ICC head] and the Big Three concept was mooted. Look, I believe we need a more equitable distribution but that certainly doesn't mean you take away India's share. No, no that's not what we want."
Hassan made vague reference to nations having issues with the proposed changes to the constitution but did not elaborate saying: "Not all of us had agreed on the governance structure. There are a lot of issues that others don't agree and there are some with which we don't agree. That's why it was placed at the ICC board meeting for everybody's observation."
The BCB president said they are not opposed to all changes in structure and will have further meetings with the CoA to clarify their position ahead of the next vote.
Hassan said: "The COA put forth their point on what their concerns on revenue model and governance structure are, while we also told them why we are supporting a few issues and not all. We will meet again and want more countries to join us."
ICC head Shashank Manohar heads the five-man ICC steering group which Hassan is a part of with the Bangladeshi keen to meet with the other members ahead of the next ICC vote.
He said: "We are trying to find a suitable date because there are lot of recommendations from various boards. [If] we have to incorporate changes, we need to change the governance structure and finalize it before the next [ICC] board meeting."
It appears that the criteria for an acceptable plan in the eyes of Hassan would involve finding a more equitable system that is also somehow still massively weighted in favour of the BCCI.
He would add: "I am very confident as we have proposed a formula that will be acceptable to everyone. It is a win-win situation where the Indian cricket board will not lose out on anything and every other board will benefit from the model. In the last two weeks, discussions with every board head who has come to India has been fruitful."
