Reports: Jay Shah in support of ICC’s INR 125 crore plan to save Test cricket

Jay Shah (Twitter)

The ICC (International Cricket Council) is exploring the prospect of having a fund of about $15 million for the development of Test cricket. The fund will help in increasing the players’ fees and will help in the migration of various talents from T20 franchise tournaments. 

It is worth noting that the initiative was introduced by Cricket Australia, and they have the full backing of BCCI secretary Jay Shah (who is in line to become the next ICC president), alongside the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

The fund will help in increasing the minimum match payments for Test players, even covering the cost of sending teams overseas.

“The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment for all players, thought to be USD 10,000, and pay the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries,” a report in the Sydney Morning Herald stated.

“The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment for all players, thought to be USD 10,000, and cover the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries,” CA chairman Mike Baird said. 

“We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white ball cricket,” he added.

The funds will be used for the boards that are in need. That is to say that the likes of the BCCI, ECB, and CA will not benefit from it, as they are already known for paying their players significant sums amount. However, Cricket West Indies (CWI), which is known for struggling with the costs of overseas tours, will get some help.

Furthermore, the report also talked in length about Star, which is reportedly looking to negotiate a deal with the ICC and looking to reduce the broadcast deal’s value by half of the original cost of over USD 3 billion.