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According to its CEO Johnny Grave, India has a “leadership role to play” in making sure that Test cricket not only survives but flourishes in places like the West Indies.
While applauding the BCCI’s dedication to Test cricket despite a demanding schedule, Grave, who joined Cricket West Indies (CWI) in 2017, stated that more work needed to be done at the ICC level to safeguard the red-ball game outside of India, England, and Australia.
Only these three ICC Full Members will participate in a five-match series during the 2023–2025 World Test Championship cycle, out of the nine contesting members. The championship was first launched in 2019 and has never included Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, or Ireland.
Grave, currently busy with co-hosting the T20 World Cup, spoke on the future of the game and the role he expects the BCCI to play.
“India have a leadership role to play,” Grave told PTI. “They’re now the No. 1 board when it comes to power, influence and resources. To date, they’ve been fantastic in how they’ve continued to play all three formats of the game, [and with] their commitment to Test cricket. I don’t think it has ever been as strong as it is now.”
Is the BCCI doing enough in the leadership role? “I think they are,” Grave said. “They’re becoming increasingly influential in the key decisions that the ICC makes. The BCCI were hugely supportive in one of the biggest things the ICC have achieved in the last 12 months, which is getting cricket back into the Olympics after a gap of 128 years.
“The fact that India came on board and supported that bid was absolutely, in my opinion, crucial for the result that the ICC got, which was the acceptance of cricket into the LA Games.
“And we’re already seeing from the Associate world, in particular, that being an Olympic sport has a very big impact on them, positively, in terms of how they can get money from government, get money from the Olympic associations to drive the game at all levels.”
Currently, all WTC cycle series are bilaterals, meaning that the home board keeps all broadcast earnings while the visiting teams are responsible for covering their own trip expenses. Grave wants the ICC to centralise travel expenses since travelling across the globe requires the West Indies to spend a lot of money.
“We have to have a league mentality that we’re all in it together as the Test playing nations,'” Grave said. “And I think the World Test Championship is a start to that. I think it’s gaining some momentum. I think it can be improved.
“Centralise flights and accommodation within the World Test Championship and take on those costs as the costs of the league rather than placing all that burden on the participating teams as we’re so negatively disadvantaged by that.”