Rumpus Over ICC chairmanship

Next month`s annual meeting of the International Cricket Council at Lord`s could be the most explosive in their history. A furious row has erupted over the successor to Sir Clyde Walcott as chairman, there is bitter opposition over plans to make the ICC a limited company and just before the meeting Australia and the West Indies could be presented with a $5 million bill by the subcontinent for forfeiting their World Cup matches in Sri Lanka.

This is the first time the ICC have held an election for chairman. The contest is between Jagmohan Dalmiya, secretary of the Indian board, Krish Mackerdhuj, president of the South African board, and Malcolm Gray, from Australia. ICC rules say the chairman will be elected by the ICC conference, and each of the nine Test-playing countries have two votes, while the associates, who number 22, have a vote each. Dalmiya has 20 votes, his two rivals 10 apiece.

However, Dalmiya has the support of only three Test-playing countries - India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - and there is strong feeling, particularly among the older Test-playing countries, that the chairman should not be elected by a simple majority. He should command the support of at least six of the nine Test-playing countries. In other words, the election of the chairman must be treated as if it was a "binding resolution".

Walcott agrees with this. In a letter he says: "I consider it would be nothing short of ridiculous to have a resolution which in substance deals with the appointment of chairman as a recommendation which is non-binding. The election of such an important position as chairman of the ICC must be binding on all members."

Walcott has also turned down an Indian request to take legal opinion. He is relying on rule 13 of the ICC, which gives the chairman the power to decide what should or should not be a binding resolution. His decision is final. But one legal source, who has studied the ICC constitution, told The Daily Telegraph: "There is nothing in the constitution which says election of the chairman must be a binding vote. It is quite clear the election should be by simple majority." This suggests that the election on July 10 could lead to a stalemate, but Walcott is unfazed by this and has told delegates that in that case he will continue as chairman until the issue is resolved.

The West Indies, seconded by England, have proposed a resolution to amend the constitution (rule 4.2) to allow Walcott a second three-year term. However, since this is an amendment to the constitution and will require the support of six out of the nine Test-playing countries, it seems highly unlikely it will be approved.

Pakistan, who support India, have proposed another resolution, suggesting that in future there should be no election of chairman, but like the presidency of the European Union it should rotate with each person having a two-year term. India have no objection to this, but feel their man Dalmiya should be allowed to test his strength in a vote and then start the rotation. Australia say they like rotation, but as the oldest Testplaying country - along with England - they should provide the first chairman under the system.

The ICC`s accounts have often produced fierce debate and last year India raised so many objections and queries that the accounts were not approved.

ELECTION of the chairman is not the only contentious issue. Australia`s proposal to make the ICC a limited company is going to meet with strong opposition. Australia are concerned that with growing legal actions against sporting bodies the ICC could expose itself to grave danger if it is not a limited company. This is the second time Australia have proposed the change. Last year the resolution was defeated, and there is nervousness among some delegates about taking the limited company route. The ICC`s accounts have often produced fierce debate and last year India raised so many objections and queries that the accounts were not approved.

The ICC already have two limited companies, a UK one called ICC Administrative Services (UK) Limited and an offshore one called ICC Development (International) Limited (IDI). This is registered in Monaco and its bankers are Barclays Bank in the Isle of Man. The Monaco registration is clearly designed, perfectly legally, to keep most of ICC`s surplus out of the hands of the Inland Revenue. This ICC company has already made a special arrangement whereby the Revenue allows profits to be deemed to be 8 per cent of turnover.

Not that the ICC makes a lot of profit. The group accounts for March 31, 1996, show it effectively traded at a loss of #6,426 against the budget. In his explanatory notes, the chief executive, David Richards, says this was due to the "extraordinary expenditure on legal fees of #5,997 arising from the balltampering issue from the 1st Australia versus Sri Lanka Test in Perth". The loss could have been even greater but, after some negotiation, ICC`s lawyers, Simmons & Simmons, agreed to reduce their legal fees by #5,000. It will be interesting to see what the legal fees will be should the row over the next chairman involve the lawyers.

ITC, the tobacco company which sponsored the World Cup, are claiming a refund on the #8 million they paid

The tone for the entire ICC meeting is likely to be set on July 6 when Pilcom, the Pakistan India Sri Lanka Committee that organised the World Cup, meet at a London hotel. There they will quantify the damages they want to claim from Australia and the West Indies for forfeiting their matches in Sri Lanka.

ITC, the tobacco company which sponsored the World Cup, are claiming a refund on the #8 million they paid, and Sri Lanka are claiming huge losses from gate receipts because of Australia and West Indies` failure to turn up. A bill of nearly $5 million could be presented to the Australians and the West Indians, and Eshan Mani, the Pakistani representative on the ICC, said: "We have no plans or intention of suing the Australians and West Indians. But we will work out the figures and present a bill and hope we can come to a settlement."

Plans for the next World Cup, in England in 1999, are being made. The draw will be made on Thursday, July 11, just after the ICC meeting, and despite England`s success against India this summer, it looks as though their one-day past will catch up with them.

A World Cup meeting held at Lord`s last month, and attended by five TCCB representatives, proposed that England be seeded eighth, with Zimbabwe the only Test-playing country below them. This will put England in a tough group, which could include Australia and Pakistan, for the qualifying competition.

The meeting also decided that the next World Cup will see 42 matches. With 12 teams participating - three associates and nine Test-playing countries - they will be divided into two groups with a win worth two points. The top three from each group will then carry their points forward into a round-robin super-league where a win will earn four points. For the overall points calculation the first-round groups will remain the same and the top two from each group will go into the semi-finals. The matches, starting in mid-May, will carry on until late June.