IPL a monster that will destroy international cricket/ICC a 'toothless tiger': Honorable Arjuna Ranatunga

[Sachin=GOD]

He's right about one thing though - ICC is toothless.

[The Realist]

This is all getting really tired. All these ranting and raving at the IPL and India is like a broken record. The fact is without Indian financing the ICC would be bankrupt. There are always power structures in sport, politics, economics etc and they are often linked to money and resources. If it’s not one person or group at the top of the tree then it will be another. It’s the way the world is. And if anything power was concentrated in even fewer hands when England had the reigns 15-20 years ago – it was a dictatorship in which there was no room for innovation or fresh ideas. Nobody wants to go back that backward era.

[asterix]

Till 2013 these issues will keep on arising. The FTP was finalised 2007 which will last till 2013. In between IPL happened which has messed up with some schedules finalised in the last FTP. Once the new FTP is in place all the issues will be resolved and nobody will whine..

[Indiawin]

If ICC is toothless, they should visit a dentist. :--D

[Ultimate_Game]

Well he is right' date=' ICC is basically pointless.[/quote'] Same is true for everything in life. Whoever has the power calls the shots, i.e. "might is right". Forget about sports, simply take a look at UN. Do you think it is of any use? It's just a facade for a few select nations headed by US. But such is life - it's not fair. India generates around 75-80% of the revenue and is bound to call the shots. The same would have been true if another nation had provided majority of the revenue - in that case that nation's board would have been the most powerful and ICC would still have been "pointless".

[yoda]

"It's absolutely ridiculous. If we are going into that, what about if other countries also ask for windows. If you take football, international matches aren't the priority except for the World Cup, which comes once in four years. In football, the glamour is in club tournaments. Are these people going to make cricket a club-based sport too. I feel very sorry and sad at the state of affairs and I hope and pray sanity will prevail," Ranatunga said.

Yes, that is what I want for cricket. Go pro and let the internationals happen in a pre-defined calendar in the form of multi team tourneys/championships. Win win for all concerned. :nice:

[ganeshran]

England and Oz had a veto at ICC till 1993. How is BCCI's current power worse than that?

[Ultimate_Game]

England and Oz had a veto at ICC till 1993. How is BCCI's current power worse than that?

Arrey bhai this is exactly what is the bone of contention. As long as they ruled the world cricket it was fine with them but now they are second to Indians they are not able to digest it. I am sure it's the same way US would act if their veto is taken away and someone else has that authority in UN.

[Vijay.Sharma]

If ICC is toothless' date=' they should visit a dentist. :--D[/quote']:haha:

[jairamesh]

"Hats off to Tony. Everyone these days fear India and no one wants to antagonise the BCCI. Tony is spot on, except for the fact that he has stated Bangladesh and Zimbabwe boards do whatever the Indians want.

This is petty PR politics. Lest he forget Sri Lanka had to go begging to the once aptly name Imperial Cricket Council to gain Test status, had it not been for India's backing, Sri Lankan would still be playing gilly danda. Without BCCI influence, Bangladesh would be still be loitering around some 3rd rung associate league. It was England and Australia who vetoed to have a 10 team 2015 world cup to guarantee a match against India. It was ECB and CA who outcast the likes of Ireland and Holland for the ching ching. If anything Whinatunga needs to direct his anger at the Anglo-australian media group News Corp who make all the TV scheduling decisions and hence Sri Lanka are never invited to play in England or Australia as often. It was India during these times who offered to play with Sri Lanka, it was getting sickening the times India and Sri Lanka played last two years. And to cite Malcolm Speed as an example is shortsightedness...this guy presided over the embarrassing World "joke" Cup in West Indies 2007.

[Tigerbait]

So I guess he misses the days when the ICC was run by the English and Australians. I guess he misses the blatant racism, favoritism & unfair sharing of resources that went on during that time because clearly, SL cricket benefited from it.

[Zap_Brannigan]

Idiot Hypocrite Cheater Scum

[Midfielder]

The same Indian power helped Sri lanka get the ban on Murali overturned and the chucking rules changed. Guess when it benefitted Lankan, Ranatunga was all for BCCI power. But suddenly all that is forgotten. SOmeone should remind him how pathetic Lanka would have been without Murali had he been banned in early 2000s. Also amusing to see him name Malcolm Speed there, the same guy who as CA's president had comeout in support of that umpire who had barred Murali for chucking. Guess in his hate for BCCI, Ranatunga has forgotten all that happened in the past.

+1. They are thankless basta**s

[Blue-no1]

Looks like the monthly welfare check from BCCI has not reached the welfare queen- Ranatunga. Throw a few rupees on the beggar and he will start singing Jana Gana Mana. just like that other clown-Andrew Symonds, who does the monkey dance with a monkey mask, after hours in Bollywood parties to get the almighty rupee.

[TheWall]

nasir, ranatunga, tony grieg.... Its BCCI's fault... why were they not invited for the IPL?????

[Temujin Khaghan]

in politics, america - pakistan in cricket india - sri lanka understand the metaphor?

[Vijay.Sharma]

This is petty PR politics. Lest he forget Sri Lanka had to go begging to the once aptly name Imperial Cricket Council to gain Test status' date= had it not been for India's backing, Sri Lankan would still be playing gilly danda. Without BCCI influence, Bangladesh would be still be loitering around some 3rd rung associate league. It was England and Australia who vetoed to have a 10 team 2015 world cup to guarantee a match against India. It was ECB and CA who outcast the likes of Ireland and Holland for the ching ching. If anything Whinatunga needs to direct his anger at the Anglo-australian media group News Corp who make all the TV scheduling decisions and hence Sri Lanka are never invited to play in England or Australia as often. It was India during these times who offered to play with Sri Lanka, it was getting sickening the times India and Sri Lanka played last two years. And to cite Malcolm Speed as an example is shortsightedness...this guy presided over the embarrassing World "joke" Cup in West Indies 2007.

In fairness, it was BCCP (erstwhile PCB) that was responsible for lobbying SL's Test status...those were the days when the Pakis held sway in the Asian equation. It all changed when one BCCI official was denied entrance at Lord's on 25 June 1983...what a big mistake that was!

[achilles]

In fairness' date=' it was BCCP (erstwhile PCB) that was responsible for lobbying SL's Test status...those were the days when the Pakis held sway in the Asian equation. It all changed when one BCCI official was denied entrance at Lord's on 25 June 1983...what a big mistake that was![/quote'] Can you elaborate on this?

[Zap_Brannigan]

Can you elaborate on this?

google gave me this, "Humiliated by officials of Lord's who denied them extra pavilion passes, board officials led by Salve vowed to snatch the World Cup from England and bring it to the sub-continent."

[achilles]

Unbelievable! That is humiliating. We would have bent backwards to accommodate them.