Budget for Champions Trophy is USD 46 million, not 135: Manohar.
'As an independent chairman of the world body, I'm there to protect the ICC's interests, and not the BCCI's'
Within a span of a year, Shashank Manohar has gone from becoming the 'unanimous choice' to head the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) again, to becoming perhaps the most unpopular man in the high-profile cricket body.
His critics in the Board feel that he has let them down - first by deserting the ship just when the whole foundation was about to be hit by the Supreme Court-constituted Lodha Committee, and then by ignoring India's interests after being voted as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
The BCCI's relationship with the world cricket body has deteriorated ever since the veteran administrator has taken charge. Speaking exclusively from Nagpur, the 58-year-old clarified his stance on a few issues. Excerpts...
There is a growing feeling in the Board that you're not protecting India's interests in the ICC?
I don't know about what anyone in the BCCI is saying. As an independent chairman of the world body, I'm there to protect the ICC's interests, and not the BCCI's.
The BCCI is upset that the ICC has earmarked a budget of $135 million (approx) as the organisational cost for the 2017 Champions Trophy in England, whereas India received only $45 million for organising the WorldT20 earlier this year...
This $135 million is a factually wrong figure that the media has reported. I don't know from where it was arrived at. The budget for the 2016 WorldT20 was $55 million, which included the production cost too.
The budget that has been earmarked for the Champions Trophy is $46 million, which includes the production cost for the event. You must remember that the cost of accommodation and travel is much more in England than in India.
It's believed that both you and the ICC back the introduction of the two-tier system in Test cricket, which the BCCI has staunchly opposed...
I had made it clear at the ICC meeting of Chief Executives (CECs) and the Board of Directors in Edinburgh that since this involved an issue regarding bilateral series rights, it shouldn't be discussed on the ICC platform. The ICC only acted as a 'facilitator' while organising an informal meeting in Dubai of representatives of the countries, which wasn't attended by CECs. We didn't pay for the expenses. Personally, I was against the idea, because the value of the second-tier teams would be negligible.
The BCCI feels that you haven't supported it enough on dealing with the Lodha reforms...
What can the ICC do in this? When it comes to the law of the land, everyone, including the ICC, has to abide by its order. We can't sit in judgement of the highest court of the country.