Correspondent, 16 October: The ongoing T20 series between India and the West Indies has prompted serious scrutiny of the International Cricket Council's (ICC) revenue distribution model. During this series, the host nation, India, is projected to earn a substantial profit of $20 million to $30 million (approximately ₹284 crore), while the visiting West Indies team will not receive a single rupee. Highlighting this massive disparity, Cricket West Indies CEO Chris Dering has launched a severe critique of the ICC.
Dering asserted that the existing bilateral series revenue model is deeply flawed and requires urgent reform. Under current regulations, the host country retains 100 percent of the revenue generated from a bilateral series. He lamented that this rule has broken the back of Caribbean cricket, pushing the sport to the verge of destruction due to a severe lack of income.
Speaking in an interview with Wisden, Dering reflected on the financial procedures in place before 1997. During that era, whenever the highly popular West Indies squad toured overseas, their board was paid a fixed fee. He noted that this guaranteed fee frequently exceeded the earnings generated from their own home series before the system was ultimately altered.
Dering revealed that he was personally present when ICC members cast their votes to change this revenue model. The West Indies suffered a 9-1 defeat in that ballot. He recalled warning the council at that exact moment, stating, "This decision is snatching away our source of income and sealing the decline of West Indies cricket."
Furthermore, Dering emphasized that an immense gap exists not only in bilateral arrangements but also in the overall allocation of ICC revenue. Bolstered by its large global market share and substantial earnings, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secures the maximum portion of ICC funds, claiming an excess of 38 percent. Conversely, the West Indies Cricket Board is allocated a mere 5 percent of these funds.
Claiming that the revised system established in 1997 has inflicted immense injustice upon smaller cricket boards, Chris Dering issued a clear warning. He stressed that the survival of smaller cricket boards will continue to be in danger until visiting teams are granted a fair and equitable share of the revenue from overseas bilateral series.
