Here are the new official avatars of the ICC and their next World Cup… 

The world is set to witness Mr. N. Srinivasan grab power once again and this time at the very epicentre of world cricket at the ICC. I for one now fear the worst! How can an individual that is embroiled in all sorts of issues and investigations at home in India be allowed to ascend to the most powerful position in world cricket. 

This at a time when the ICC Code of Ethics itself clearly states that it is not permitted and a Director shall be in breach of this code if a member of his immediate family has a controlling interest in a betting business, a substantial relationship with a betting business or is employed in the day to day operational control of a betting business as per provision 7.1 (d) of the ICC Code of Ethics is in itself a travesty. Many letters, by many people have been written to the ICC to refer this matter to the Ethics Committee which have been rejected by the ICC Secretariat and no action has been taken by the ICC to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee. This itself shows you the new order and the new ways of operations of the new ICC. This is just the beginning…

As if to snub the world of cricket, just this past weekend, the Board of Control for Cricket in India with complete bravado confirmed publically that it had threatened to break away from the ICC threatening to set up a parallel cricketing body before it struck a deal with Australia and England to overhaul the ICC governing body, ensuring a much greater share of the revenues to the big three nations. But all the bravado aside, one needs to understand how a sports administrator that has been asked to step aside by the judiciary is set to power-on to the top position in the world of cricket.

The answer lies simply in a tangled web of lies and deceit that has been woven with a level of foresight that is unprecedented. Wheels were set in motion as far back as 2012 to ensure that N. Srinivasan ascends to the ICC come 2014.

“How”, do I hear you ask? Well for starters the constitution of the ICC was amended in June 2012 to provide for the election of the Chairman by the Executive Board every two years, commencing in 2014, at the first meeting of the Executive Board following the Conference held in that relevant year. The Chairman has to be proposed by a Full Member Director and seconded by two Directors (of which one must be a Full Member Director). Thus Srini was proposed by Giles Clarke (ECB) (in exchange he got himself nominated to run a key committee) and seconded by Wally Edwards (CA) also in exchange for another key committee chairmanship. Thus, each apportioning a pie of the cricket for themselves and in turn ensuring that they dictate the new world order. 

Importantly, there was a proposed amendment in the constitution in the ICC meeting in February and April of 2014 this year, an amendment which incidentally not taken place as on date. Now let me tell you what that amendment is all about. The Articles of Association of the ICC are to be amended with immediate effect to provide that the Chairman of the ICC (who shall serve a period in office for two years immediately after the 2014 Conference till the end of the 2016 conference) shall be the nominee on the ICC Board of the BCCI (or nominees of the BCCI if the original nominee is replaced by the BCCI as its nominee on the ICC Board during this period). This amendment is still not passed. So don't read too much into this. In all likelyhood this will be amended to reflect the current constitution or likely not be passed at all. Thus BCCI will have in fact no role to play in removing or installing Srinivasan as of today. Thus, Mr. N Srinivasan is set to become the Chairman of the ICC under the unamended Clause 3.5 and not because he is the BCCI nominee in the ICC.

Here is the reproduction of the Clause…

3.5 The Chairman of the Council ("the Chairman")

(A) With effect from the first meeting of the Executive Board following the 2014 Conference Close Date, each Chairman shall be nominated and elected in accordance with the provisions of this Article 3.5.  

(B) A Chairman shall be elected by the Executive Board every two years, commencing in 2014, at the first meeting of the Executive Board following the Conference held in that relevant year.  For the purposes of this Article 3.5, a meeting of the Executive Board at which a Chairman is due to be elected shall be a "Relevant Meeting".

(C) Any member of the Executive Board may, by written notice to the Chief Executive, not later than one month before a Relevant Meeting, nominate aperson for election to Chairman at that Relevant Meeting.  Such nominee shall be a current or former member of the Executive Board or shall have substantial experience at the board level of a Cricket Authority.

(D) Upon the receipt of nominations, the Chief Executive shall present them for consideration at the Relevant Meeting provided that no nominee shall be considered unless he has been proposed at the Relevant Meeting by a Full Member Director and seconded by two Directors (of which one must be a Full Member Director).  A Chairman shall be elected by the Executive Board in accordance with Article 4.8(C).  Once the Executive Board has passed a formal resolution to elect a nominee, such nominee shall, from the conclusion of the Relevant Meeting, assume the role of Chairman for a two year term.

(E) A Chairman may be removed from his position by the Executive Board in accordance with Article 4.8(C).  A Chairman may be re-elected at subsequent Relevant Meetings, subject to a maximum aggregate term of six years.

(F) In the event that the Chairman shall, for any reason, be unable to fulfil or continue his duties, the procedure set out in this Article 3.5 for the election of a Chairman shall apply to the election of a replacement Chairman.  For the purposes of applying such procedure, the next meeting of the Executive Board to be held after the Chairman has discontinued his duties shall be deemed to be a Relevant Meeting.  The replacement Chairman shall fulfil the duties of Chairman until the earlier of the next Relevant Meeting or the existing Chairman being able to fulfil or to continue to fulfil his duties (in which event he shall continue as Chairman until the conclusion of the next Relevant Meeting).

(G) The Chairman shall, in addition to any other duties imposed on him under the Articles of Association of the Council, chair all Executive Board meetings, monitor the implementation of the policies of the Council, liaise with the governing bodies for cricket throughout the world, present the annual report of the Council’s activities to the Conference and initiate or respond to matters which he considers in the interests of Council.

Furthermore there is another proposed  amendment in the Constitution of the ICC – IDI resolutions and the CEC meeting in February and April 2014 as under. This amendment has still not taken place.

That the Articles of Association of ICC be amended immediately to provide that (i) the initial Chairman of ICC, who shall serve a period on office for two years beginning from immediately after the 2014 Conference until the end of the 2016 Conference, shall be the nominee on the ICC Board of the BCCI (or nominees of the BCCI if the original nominee is replaced by the BCCI as its nominee on the ICC Board during this period) and (ii) from the end of the 2016 Conference, the ICC Board will, by a vote of a majority of at least 7 votes of Full Member nominees on the ICC Board, elect one of the nominees of Full Members on the ICC Board to be Chairman of ICC for a period of 2 years (subject to being removed as a director or being replaced on the ICC Board during the two-year period by the relevant Full Member, in which case that replacement shall take over the role of Chairman of ICC for the remainder of the original nominee's term).

How many of you out there would like to place a small wager with me that once our friend N Srinivasan ascends to power he could well bury both these amendments in a manner, that they would never see the light of day and thus ensure that he clings on too his seat of power at the ICC longer than his tenured two years…..

But as I tweeted recently the ICC is now a council of crooks, and when Srinivasan takes charge as the Chairman in Melbourne it would have failed once again in its duty to govern the sport we all love. And people that love the game of cricket including myself would be left with little option but to look at an alternate system that ensures governance, transparency and zero tolerance for corruption. ICC will now be the biggest facilitator of what was called “insider trading” in the corporate world and is called “match fixing” in the cricketing world. So get ready to witness the newest form of television entertainment – unparalleled and similar to WWE. Everything will be pre-decided, pre-orchestrated and scripted. You will see cover-up after cover-up further multiple self - serving changes to constitutions of various bodies and pliable appointments in the ACSU. Anybody that even raises an eyebrow will be done away with. Welcome to new reality TV drama called Cricket – run by the International Council of Crooks.