“ICC’s responsibility is towards all its members” – ECB ECO Tom Harrison on rich boards having greater say

Tom Harrison, the Chief Executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), doesn’t agree with the view that the BCCI, along with the ECB and Cricket Australia, should have more power in the running of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Matches featuring the three nations are said to generate maximum revenue. However, according to Tom Harrison, the ICC needs to be seen as a “global governing body” of cricket.

In an interaction with ANI, he explained his stance and said:

“The ICC needs to represent its membership as a global governing body. There are some realities that face the world, certainly around India’s influence and economic strength in the game of cricket which is unlike any other major sport. That is a fundamental reality, but the ICC’s responsibility is towards all its members… it is important we get that right and we are able to continue to grow cricket. This is where the definition of fairness can be argued.”

The BCCI is the richest cricketing body in the world and it has often been alleged that they exercise their influence at the ICC to get things done their way.

We are starting to understand the impact of bubble life: Tom Harrison

Tom Harrison also felt that living in bio-bubbles on a constant basis is having a negative impact on the mental health of players. According to him, ensuring the well-being of players is extremely crucial.

England suffered a major setback ahead of the Test series against India after their star all-rounder Ben Stokes decided to skip the series to focus on his mental well-being. Harrison admitted:

“We are starting to understand the impact of bubble life, but it is unquestionable that it has had a negative impact on the mental well-being of players and support staff. From our point of view, we are starting to understand that in order to fulfill our complex FTP, we need to have deeper squads. We cannot prioritise everything, it is unrealistic to do that. And it is unrealistic to expect players to take the field every single time. England plays more than any team, we take this responsibility very seriously, the key point is to put people first and monitor mental health in the way the game has not done in the past.”

On whether England’s players will be allowed to take their families to the Ashes in Australia, Tom Harrison informed that discussions are on between the ECB and Cricket Australia but there is no clarity over the matter yet.