In what could be a major blow to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and India’s standing in the international sports community, the International Cricket Council (ICC) is exploring alternative host countries for the 2021 ICC Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to be held in India, due to a lack of tax exemptions from the Indian government.
While the ICC said that it’s management, supported by the BCCI, will continue the dialogue with the Indian government to find possible solutions, cricket’s world governing body has directed it’s management to explore alternative host countries in a similar time zone.
“In other matters, the Board expressed their concern around the absence of a tax exemption from the Indian Government for ICC events held in India despite ongoing efforts from both the ICC and BCCI to secure the exemption which is standard practice for major sporting events around the world,” ICC said in a statement.
“The Board agreed that ICC management, supported by the BCCI will continue the dialogue with the Indian Government but in the meantime directed ICC management to explore alternative host countries in a similar time zone for the ICC Champions Trophy 2021.”
Meanwhile, ICC also announced that Afghanistan and Ireland, who were granted Full Member status in June 2017, will receive increased fund allocations.
“ICC Board agreed a revised financial model incorporating increased allocations for Ireland and Afghanistan as the newest Full Members of the ICC. The new model will see Ireland and Afghanistan each receiving a percentage of the projected surplus, amounting under current projections to approximately USD 40m each over the course of the current eight year commercial rights cycle.”