Revamp needed at the top

In 1988, the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) held a news conference at the US Open where they unveiled a plan called "Tennis at the Crossroads" which outlined the players' intention to assume control of the game. Cricket has reached that same fork in the road.

The players need to assert more control over a game that is lost and staggering around blindly in a maze of politicking and power-broking dead ends. A boring World Cup with a farcical ending was further and final proof that international cricket needs a major overhaul. The ICC is made up of the cricket chiefs of each playing nation and was never going to administer in the best interests of the game. Over many years that has proved to be the case; it has always been a paper tiger. However, while it wasn't so critical when the game only involved seven countries, the bulk of whom did as they were told by England and Australia, it would've been easier back then to set a futuristic path designed to run the modern game efficiently.

Nevertheless, that is no reason not to now appoint an impartial Board to run international cricket with two important criteria at the top of a revamped constitution. One, to understand that first and foremost cricket is a game and second, all decisions are taken in the best interests of that game.

A board comprising only players is no more likely to succeed than the current setup or a cricket team consisting of eleven batsmen or eleven bowlers. Like a cricket team, a board needs to be the right combination, providing expertise in various aspects of the game and business. Currently the set-up is too political, with a fixation for the bottom line, to the detriment of the playing side of the game. Officials have historically been reluctant to involve cricketers in the decision-making process that pertains to the playing of the game and this is a serious flaw in the administrative structure.

Former great Australian legspinner Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly used to tell an amusing story about cricket administrators.

"You remember when two kids would toss a coin in the park," he'd start off, "and then they proceeded to take turns in choosing another ten guys. Well there were always a few blokes left over," he'd continue, "and they were the coat minders." With a chuckle he'd add, "And the coat minders go on to become members of the Australian Cricket Board."

O'Reilly's story always brought uproarious laughter but sadly it's true; there's a distinct lack of playing experience at the highest level of the game among most cricket boards. There was little hope of changing things in O'Reilly's day but now with an international players association [FICA], there is some hope.

Following the debacle that masqueraded as a World Cup there were mutterings that the Indian board might propose a vote of no-confidence in the current regime; it won't happen. Turkeys don't vote for Thanksgiving, sitting members don't opt for redistribution of their electoral boundaries and cricket administrators don't elect to put themselves out of a job.

That is why it's time for the players to regain some control of the game. However, they need to do so in a way that involves the main stakeholders; the administrators and the fans. It's time to do away with the "Us and Them" mentality that exists between players and administrators and also to re-connect with the true fans of the game; the ones who follow it religiously, not just when a big event is staged.

The priority should be to ensure the game has a solid foundation where the major nations are powerful and the brand of cricket played is exciting and competitive. If the major teams are playing in such a manner, other aspects of the game like television, marketing, sponsorship and globalisation will fall into place, as long as the game is administered with great strength and integrity.

The time is right for the players to adopt a more assertive role in cricket and ensure the game is left in good shape for future generations. If some tough decisions aren't taken soon the crossroads cricket has reached could turn into a fatal crash scene.