The apex cricketing body of the world, the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), yet again, find themselves at loggerheads with each other.
This time, on the issue of tax exemption for hosting ICC world events, through an exchange of emails. The issue has been causing feuds between the governing bodies, since the 2016 T20 World Cup.
According to sources, both parties are trying their level best to get on the same page regarding the matter.
“The ICC and BCCI have been working in partnership to address the issue of tax exemptions for ICC events that is a requirement of the host agreement signed by all parties at the beginning of the cycle in 2015, and this work is ongoing,” the ICC spokesperson was quoted by PTI.
“There are certain timelines within the agreements that we collectively work towards to ensure we can deliver successful world-class events and continue to invest in the sport of cricket,” added the official.
Nearing an end to his tenure, ICC Chairman Shashank Manohar along with Chief Executive Manu Sawhney has been in touch with BCCI Chief Sourav Ganguly regarding the matter.
However, it was the tone of apex cricketing body’s legal head, Jonathan Hill, in the email which offended BCCI’s top officials.
“The tax structure is not decided by the BCCI but by the Indian government. It is our government that decides whether the exemption will be possible or not. For the record, Formula One also wasn’t given tax exemption,” said an influential member of ICC.
“We understand that as the nomination process of the new ICC chairman starts on Tuesday, suddenly there has been a flurry of communication. You can rest assured that T20 World Cup in 2021 and 2023 ODI World Cup is going nowhere, As far as the timeline is concerned, we had told ICC that unless lockdown is lifted,” concluded the official.
