Cameron eyes top ICC spot

Former Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dave Cameron is a man on a mission, and that mission, according to him, is to effect change at the highest level of cricket through the chairmanship of the governing body.

The United States Cricket Hall of Fame recently wrote to the current chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Shashank Manohar, indicating that they would like to recommend the former regional cricket president to the post of chairman of the ICC. Cameron has accepted the endorsement.

Cameron, who served as CWI president from 2013 to 2019, says the world economics of cricket need to be looked at and a strategic plan, which he had started to look into since 2016, needs to be put into effect, to benefit smaller countries and not just the big three of India, Australia and England.

SUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL MODEL

“I believe we need to find a sustainable financial model where teams can earn through merit. The big three India, Australia and England have all the events, the audience and the biggest economy, but the smaller nations have to always be coming back to the ICC for financial support, so what we want to happen is not equal share of revenues, but equitable share,” said Cameron.

The former CWI president shared a scenario where the West Indies won three championships in 2016 but the regional body was no better off financially.

The Jamaican would need two nominations to go up for the ICC chairmanship, with the new chairman set to formally take over when the ICC’s annual general meeting is held at the end of July.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief Colin Grave is said to be the front-runner for the top post; however, the name of India board president Sourav Ganguly has also been mentioned.

If nominated, Cameron says he will be looking to tap into the vastly untouched market of the Americas.

“The overall cricket structure needs change and needs to be looked at from different lenses. There is tremendous opportunity in the Americas which has huge economies that are untapped, and we need to look at the cricket world from a different set of eyes,” said Cameron.

Cameron also pointed out that the sport of cricket has not grown on this side of the world, with Asia and Europe surpassing the Americas with regard to development.

He also outlined that the logistical aspect of the game needs revamping to properly maximise the true potential of the sport globally.

“We are still trying to fit Test cricket, T20, ODIs and world events into the same 12 months with more teams, and I think there is a way to look at that to create more money with fewer events and to allow more players to participate in the global game,” said Cameron.