Opinion | Andrew Miller >> Factionalism out of control Malcolm Speed's ousting as the ICC's CEO is an open admission of the hypocrisy, factionalism and naked politicking that has paralysed the game's governing body Andrew Miller April 25, 2008 Malcolm Speed heads out of bounds ... but the ICC are the ones stuck deep in the rough © Getty Images   On the one hand, the early end of Malcolm Speed's tenure as ICC chief executive changes little within a blighted organisation. It had already been announced that he was to stand down in July, after seven turbulent years at the helm, and so all that has really changed is that he will now take no part in the ICC's annual conference, which - as Cricinfo yesterday revealed - will take place in Dubai instead of Lord's for the first time in the organisation's 99-year history. In the grander scheme of things, however, Speed's ousting is more than just a final humiliation for a man who has found himself at the sharp end of every one of the game's myriad crises of the recent past. It is an open admission of the hypocrisy, factionalism and naked politicking that has paralysed the game's governing body, at precisely the moment when the global game is most desperately in need of leadership and unity. This is a perilous period for world cricket, for the pace of change this year has been rampant. The Twenty20 format has exploded into life with a force that few could ever have contemplated, and cricket's elite players are being transfixed by the life-transforming sums of money being dangled in front of their faces. There is, in the opinion of one of the men of the moment, Allen Stanford, a "900lb gorilla" running amok in the East, and yet his response - to whack £10 million on the table and declare "take it or leave it" - seems no less ape-ish. A strong sporting body - or even a weak sporting body that actually cared for the game it governed - would find sufficient voice and authority to declare that enough is enough. But the ICC is nothing more than a burnt-out train-wreck of an organisation. For years it was run as a personal fiefdom of England and Australia; now it's India's turn, as the game's financial powerhouse, to ride roughshod over all comers - rarely more triumphantly than during the recent Harbhajan Singh furore in Australia. Meanwhile, the rest of the world clung meekly to the concept that unity, however unilateral, was better than the anarchy that now threatens to engulf the game. Now, however, any board that values its integrity would do well to give the ICC as little credence as possible. The fact that it is Zimbabwe that has spread the rot so far and wide is no surprise, but it still beggars belief how they are permitted to get away with it. Zimbabwe's domestic structure is in chaos, they are incapable of raising a Test side and they are barely competitive at any level of the game. And yet Peter Chingoka, their stooge of a chairman, is arguably the most influential man in the game today, all because he is willing to accede slavishly to the BCCI on any and every issue. Thanks principally to Chingoka, a wedge has been driven between (without putting too fine a point of it) the white countries and the rest, but the man who has allowed this to get out of control in recent months is Ray Mali, whom Peter Roebuck last week described as "a compromised and unworthy president of the ICC". He is another official who is drunk on his own power, which is incredible seeing as he shouldn't even be in the job in the first place. He was only handed the reins as a stop-gap measure, following the death of Percy Sonn in May 2007. According to those who have watched him in action in the ICC, Mali is as reckless as he is power-happy, so prone to gaffes that he is rarely trusted to speak publicly. Last October, at the Darrell Hair tribunal in London, he stunned his employers - and effectively sealed the case in favour of the defendant - when he declared: "I don't see any reason why Mr Hair should not return to the Elite panel and umpire Test matches." Robert Griffiths, Hair's QC, was obliged to repeat the words to make sure Mali was aware of what he was saying. Today, Mali wasn't even trusted to comment on the schemozzle emanating from Dubai. He was in South Africa and unavailable "for personal reasons", leaving his successor, David Morgan, to issue the press release that heralded Speed's departure, as well as to face the media at Lord's on Saturday afternoon. Such was the complete confusion that Mali left behind, some of the executive board didn't even know of the decision until it had been announced.     Any board that values its integrity would do well to give the ICC as little credence as possible. The fact that it is Zimbabwe that has spread the rot so far and wide is no surprise, but it still beggars belief how they are permitted to get away with it   Rarely has the ICC moved with such haste - on the Zimbabwe issue they have been dragging their feet for five years. However, the factions within the ICC corridors of power have been gunning for Speed ever since that fateful meeting in March, when the independent forensic audit into Zimbabwe's financial irregularities was swept under the carpet. Speed refused to front up to defend a decision with which he fundamentally disagreed, and from that moment on, his fate was sealed. Tellingly, Mali and his cronies were desperate that Zimbabwe should not been seen as the cause of Speed's downfall, Cricinfo has learnt. Earlier this week, they saw an opportunity to strike when it emerged that the rebel Indian Cricket League had written to the ICC to seek official status. By dressing that up as an illicit approach to the CEO, they hoped to discredit Speed. However, in a further indication that there are factions within the ICC's factions, this morning's press release explicitly mentioned Zimbabwe as the core issue. It seems there will be yet more power struggles to come. Speed will not be missed by those who equate his reign with the erosion of the ICC's credibility, but his Teflon-like qualities most certainly will. His stance throughout a dreadful last 18 months - from Hair-gate to the World Cup and beyond - was an implacable calm that, superficially at least, gave the impression that there was a modicum of control being exercised at some level of the organisation. Now, the ICC is officially out of control - and with it the world game. In a poll carried out today by the Professional Cricketers' Association, a fifth of England's county cricketers admitted they would be prepared to sign up for the reviled ICL. Meanwhile, the best players in the world are preparing to grab whatever cash comes their way in their all-too-brief careers, and hang the consequences. The concept of loyalty in professional sport has long been an anachronism, but the way it is behaving, you'd assume the ICC couldn't care less for the consequences of its actions. Andrew Miller is UK editor of Cricinfo © Cricinfo

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Posted by CL-R on April 29 2008, 16:52 PM GMT

"I think the Indian stronghold in ICC is not the problem, rather the problem is BCCI." Probably one of the best quotes here. There's no problem with a strong Indian influence in the game, BUT there IS a problem with a strong BCCI influence. The BCCI will do whatever it takes to enrich and strengthen itself and it's friends, even if it means weakening the game as a whole, basically the BCCI is an over fattened parasite. The ICC has blundered in getting rid of Speed at this point, it really needed someone who is outspoken and in possession of a backbone. Actually it needs a lot of people like him. The fact that Zimbabwe has been able to get away with this much for this long is testament to the ICC's weakness and factionalism, there is NO reason whatsoever why the incompetent and almost openly corrupt ZCU should be getting something in the region of $11m, when honest associate boards are scraping by on shoestring budgets. MaraudingJ, I can only hope the ICC doesn't end out like SARU.

Posted by Shirazl on April 28 2008, 07:53 AM GMT

It is sad that cricket has become just like the Las Vegas casinos. All those who are around are just trying to make a buck. I do agree with the author on the influence India has made. If India does not get its senses right and leave the greed for money aside, a great game like cricket will be one of those games that we will be telling our kids about in the future. The money power and greed for money is evident not only in the corridors of BCCI but also within the Indian Cricket team itself. They have so many icons in the team, but cannot put up a consistent effort to be on the top in performance like the Australians? It is sad, but true. India is ruining today's world cricket with its shear money power. I know this sounds very racist, but it is a fact. Somebody should 'tell' the king that he is naked, before it is too late....... Otherwise, the power brokers in India not only has to answer the one billion fans in India, but also the ones across the world....

Posted by 1stSlip on April 27 2008, 14:40 PM GMT

Interesting article. A credible governing body for world cricket such as the ICC is vital for the future of the game but significant changes need to take place to enhance it's ability to lead effectively eg. - come out of isolation in Dubai and position itself in a major cricket-playing nation where it can keep in touch with the game's grass roots. - Appoint a "CEO" who has a long & suuccesful background in the cricket world and a genuine "love for the game". Encourage appropriate candidates to put themselves forward and then choose the best one. - Other ICC head office positions to be filled by eg successful past players and umpires - don't run cricket for the money/TV rights only. Mr Speed has been guilty of over emphasising the financial side of th egame - adopt a 'lead from the front' management style. Mr Speed has reacted to events rather than provided directional leadership

Posted by AmicusCuraie on April 27 2008, 14:06 PM GMT

Wow!!!!!!! what an article by the author

Posted by ExCric on April 27 2008, 07:35 AM GMT

The article has one veiled accusation at BCCI and none to IPL. But almost everyone with an opinion against the two has jumped at another golden opportunity to criticise them. People love to believe what they want. All they need is a little prodding that allows them to beleive they are riding that wonderful high horse. It was ok to play SA during apartheid, it is also ok now to partake in the olympics while that place has one party rule. We have to remember the ICC is a body of nations[just like the UN] that deals and barters for mutual benefit first. England and Australia did this since the beginning, now it is India and in the future it will be someone else. In sport or in other fields it is always the one with the deepest pockets that commands an audience. Now, to the finger wagging self righteous, what was your point again?

Posted by AlexDackard on April 27 2008, 07:31 AM GMT

Mr Miller, let's talk about facts for once. ICC has always been a defunct body, is a defunct body, and will always be a defunct body so long cricket remains a game of handful of nations. When a small group controls the amount of money ICC does these days, 'the big one' will heckle others for space because it is possible to do so, and the others put up with this because they need the 'big one'. Earlier it was England & Australia combine, and make no mistake, they were no different, now it is India, tomorrow it may be someone else. If the world was filled with idealist purists the affront everyone is showing ICC might be understandable. It is even understandable from laymen. But the cricketing press talking about politicking, and factionalism within ICC as a new phenomenon!!! Mr Miller get your facts straight, journalism ought to be objective. No?

Posted by MaraudingJ on April 27 2008, 05:14 AM GMT

I fully agree with this article. While I'm certainly no fan of Speed's, I'm concerned by the potential for manipulation by the all-powerful Asian bloc. This is a troublesome step indeed. I hope Lorgat et al don't turn the ICC into SARU (for those South Africans out there, you likely know what I'm talking about).

Posted by Vivek7 on April 27 2008, 04:36 AM GMT

First of all andrew seemed to have wrote this in a hurry. cricinfo articles so far has made it more confusing on speed's forced vacation. andrew just made it worse. like many pointed he just ranted out as usual against bcci and brought about monkeygate again. andrew incase your journalism professor forgot to tell you. a good journalist would first be objective , easy to understand and easily breakdown the story. Andrew , if I wanted to listen to someone rant, I would go read monkeygate in sydney morning herald or some aussie blogger. I dont need to come here to listen to your rants on BCCI. while I read your article I kept asking myself how is the author so sure about the points he is making, whenever you wrote as if you were in the ICC executive meetings. Indeed Speed could have run it better but he is not the only to blame. But Isnt a CEO is always supposed to accept the blame even if an employee makes a blunder ? thats how it works in corporate world Andrew.

Posted by knight on April 26 2008, 21:57 PM GMT

What goes around comes around. Gone are the days when England/Australia called the shots. It is very difficult for people to digest that now a colony has turned out to be the powerhouse of world cricket. Politicking exists even in small organisation, ICC is a governing body of nations, each one looking to protect its own interest first. IPL apparently has stepped on many toes, boards are finding that they missed the boat by not thinking of doing something similar earlier. Its funny that Mr Stanford finds it hard to digest that he could not cash in on this T20 revolution, now trying to bankroll ECB (hypocrite). Trying to pick holes everywhere. Windies could not organise a World Cup properly. Courtesy IPL cricket has seen demand/supply equation = high salaries, its simple if players don't perform, will be dropped from the rolls. Having such leagues provides fringe and out of favour players opportunity to showcase their abilities in a tough/competitive environment.

Posted by anmn on April 26 2008, 19:06 PM GMT

If the issue is taking a racist or more specifically nationlistic debate, then Andrew Miller is all to blame for the subjective interpretation of events. On a lighter note, funny to see people claim ICC to be non-imperialistic. ICC was founded as "Imperial Cricket Conference", per wikipedia, in 1909. In my opinion, its clear power struggle. Old-world is not letting India to lead cricket, while being funded very much by India. Erst-while power-holders don't want to play ball based on realities. Rest of the events are merely circumstantial.

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