A Committee of Administrators (COA) is managing the BCCI after the sackings of (ex-chief) Anurag Thakur and (ex-secretary) Ajay Shirke along with a host of their staff.

This has led to policy change at the highest level – with the ICC – whose members have been hell-bent on reducing the leverage India has on the cricketing world. What this means is that India won’t be controlling the schedule as much as it used to under the powers of N Srinivasan and Thakur. And sponsors don’t want that – sponsors coveted the BCCI’s mettle. Paying so much money per match makes sense against England, Australia or Pakistan but from a business point of view, the same amount is over the top for a series against Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.

There are reports that the only way to end the BCCI-ICC standoff over power is India pulling out of the Champions Trophy. To make things worse, the BCCI’s commercial general manager RP Shah has also resigned, leaving sponsors without a go-to man who could drive good deals for Indian cricket.

Star India’s chairman and CEO Uday Shankar has said that these developments could be a hindrance in his company pumping “billions” on cricket.

Given all the volatility, we are indeed concerned about the health of cricket in the days ahead. No one seems to be talking about making cricket bigger and more popular. We have been very proud that our name is carried on the jersey of Team India. But given all the uncertainties, we have decided not to bid for it again. The commitments being asked for are too onerous without any clarity,” Shankar told Times of India in an interview.

Shankar went on to elaborate that the ICC’s Big Three model (where India, England & Australia would get a larger chunk of the revenue pie) suited investors – and the concern for Star was that India’s percentage share in viewership could do down. The lack of clarity over the Future Tours Programme doesn’t help investors in making a decision.

“If India lose their voice or even if they are not playing a leading role, it would be disastrous for global cricket. The country that delivers the largest share of fans and also the largest share of money in global cricket should have a say in the critical affairs of the game. It is in best interest of cricket as a whole. The game can’t get stronger without it becoming stronger in India. We must ensure that we aren’t throwing the baby with the bathwater,” 

Click here to read the entire interview – where Shankar speaks about the Lodha Panel’s decisions and how they affect sponsors.