The annual conference of the International Cricket Council (ICC) will be held in Colombo, likely in the third week of July. The timing is significant as it will immediately follow the Twenty20 World Cup in June, held in the US and West Indies.
At the conference, the ICC managers are expected to take stock of the World Cup, particularly the challenges faced in the US, which has been a major concern for global administrators. An important decision on USA Cricket is anticipated.
Another key point of discussion could be a change in the term for the ICC chairman. There is a plan to extend the chairman’s tenure to three years from the existing two years and reduce the permitted terms from three to two. More importantly, clarity may emerge on who will be the next chairman.
Jay Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), is a potential candidate, and informed sources within the BCCI do not deny the possibility of Shah throwing his hat into the ring, although Shah himself has remained tight-lipped. Greg Barclay of New Zealand is the incumbent chairman.
Meanwhile, the ICC is on track to complete the “cutting-edge modular Nassau County International Cricket Stadium” in New York, which will host eight T20 World Cup matches, including the highly anticipated India-Pakistan contest on June 9. The stadium, located 30 miles east of Manhattan in Eisenhower Park, can accommodate up to 34,000 people.
The ICC will use a drop-in square, a type used worldwide, including at Adelaide Oval in Australia and Eden Park in New Zealand. The pitch is currently being curated in Florida and will be transported by road to New York in early May, with its preparation overseen by Damien Hough from Adelaide Oval. Florida and Dallas, the other two venues in the US, have their own turf wickets.
