ICC's latest financial model contradicts Papon's comments on revenue

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) receives a large share of the ICC's revenue, USD 405 million from the current cycle to be exact.The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) gets the second highest share. The ECB is getting USD 139 million. The cricketing governing bodies of Australia, Bangladesh, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand receive USD 128 million.

A period of eight years constitutes a cycle. In the 2016-2023 financial cycle, Bangladesh is getting USD 128 million (approximately 1,100 crore) from the ICC. Zimbabwe aren't part of the Test Championship and so the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) is getting less money than the third set of boards (USD 94 million).

However, BCB president Nazmul Hasan Papon claimed that Bangladesh now receives the same amount from the ICC as Zimbabwe and from 2023 it would get the same dividend as Australia. The BCB president gave this information while talking about various issues related to cricket at a function of Bangladesh Sports Press Association (BSPA) on Saturday.

This information given by the BCB president is not correct according to the latest revenue model of the ICC. The model was approved at the ICC's annual general meeting in London in 2017.

The BCB president's comments on the model, which was finalized four years ago, suggest he was unaware of the issue. Nazmul Hasan said, "Many people wonder how much money the BCB gets now. The ICC still pays the same amount as before."

"Yes, it will increase in the future. From 2023 we will get much more. From 2023, Bangladesh will get the same amount as Australia. We are getting the same amount as Zimbabwe now. I did challenge the ICC but there was no result as the cycle had already begun," added the BCB president.

The ICC's financial model does not exactly match the BCB president's remarks. The new model was approved in 2017 after negotiations with the ICC and the BCCI. The Business Standard (TBS) contacted the BCB chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury to find out exactly from what point of view he gave this 'wrong' information.

"We are still not on par with Australia," the BCB chief executive told TBS. "As the BCB president has said, in the new money cycle we will get equal or closer (to Australia). India, of course, will have the highest share. Then comes England and then Australia. These three countries will get more than us. Now we're getting USD 128 million in eight years. It will increase from 2023."

The BCB president and the BCB chief executive, both gave the same information, saying that Bangladesh is not getting the same amount of money as Australia. But the latest financial model of the ICC suggests otherwise.