Will Khwaja be the missing “Strand” in the Associate DNA that unlocks value?
By G Unnikrishnan, a Bangalore-based cricket writer, wrote on cricket for nearly two decades for several publications in India and abroad.
Bengaluru, November 2: The election to the vacant chairman post of the International Cricket Council (ICC) is now a two-way battle between New Zealand’s Greg Barclay and Imran Khwaja, the current interim chairman of the global governing body.
October 18 was the deadline to file nominations for the ICC Chairman post and at this point we are not sure about the number of contenders, but Barclay and Khwaja are the clear front-runners for the coveted role. While Barclay is a known name in the cricketing circles, Khwaja’s a rather muted presence.
But that is no indication of his reach within the power corridors of the ICC and his future will be followed keenly by the ICC’s associate nations. Even coming from an associate country like Singapore, Khwaja, a lawyer by profession like Barclay, has asserted himself as an undeniable voice within the ICC. Khwaja, who joined the ICC in 2017 as the deputy Chairman as per the amended rules, is a strong ally of his predecessor Shashank Manohar.
It was Khwaja who persuaded Manohar to continue as the ICC Chairman, formerly known as ICC President, when the strongman from Nagpur wanted to step down in 2018. It can be said that Khwaja has imbibed his administrative outlook from Manohar, which is more inclusive and holds a kinder view to smaller nations.
Khwaja strongly believes in the supremacy of ICC and wants the member nations to follow the path set by the global body rather than a few countries calling the shots. The Singaporean wants a revenue model more profitable for the ICC, incorporating an extra ICC tournament in the annual calendar. Khwaja thinks such a move will position the ICC as a true global governing body like FIFA, capable of drawing its own vision for cricket. In turn, Khwaja wants to chart a map in which the associate members of the ICC get more attention, share of matches and profit.
By leveraging the new finance model in favour of the ICC, Khwaja believes this can be done. “Khwaja is a progressive minded administrator. He has always been an advocate of smaller nations coming to the frontline and believes cricket will benefit more by their presence, financially as well as transforming the sport into a true global sport. He wants to tap the full potential of cricket and take it to every corner of the world through associate nations,” an official from one of the ICC associate nations told Czarsportz.
“This is not to upset any particular nations but Khwaja thinks development of cricket is impossible while neglecting the associate nations. He believes a proper push to these smaller nations can open the door to a whole new world for cricket,” the official said.
The line of thought is not accepted by the traditional cricketing powerhouses in the ICC in its entirety, who favor more bilateral tournaments. Khwaja was a major brain behind ICC cutting down the Big Three model, and making the revenue share more democratic under the Manohar regime. Khwaja had also played a massive role in turning Singapore and Malaysia major cricket hubs in the last decade or so, helping the region develop essential infrastructure.
If his work in Singapore and at the ICC till date can be taken as a portender, the possibility of Khwaja as the regular ICC Chairman could be a big boost for the associate nations, who could unlock a brighter future.
