Latest news with #WCA
Indian Express
18 hours ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Only fair they get their share of pound of flesh: Ravi Shastri wants India to get a bigger share of ICC revenue
With India claiming 38.5% of ICC's total revenue share for the 2024-27 cycle, former player Ravi Shastri defended the decision saying India should get an even bigger share considering their contribution to the cricket body's revenue. 'I would want more because most of the money that's generated comes from India. So it's only fair that they get their share of pound of flesh. It's relative, it's economies, if tomorrow there might be another economy that's stronger. Money might come from there like it did in the 70s, 80s and the chunk of the money went somewhere else. So I think it's only fair and, it just shows in the revenues,' Shastri said on Wisden. 'When India travel, look at the television rights, look at the television income that comes for an India series. So it's only fair that they get. Whatever they're getting now, if not more,' he added. 🗣️'When India travels, look at the television rights.' 📈 Ravi Shastri believes India deserve an even greater share of the ICC revenue 🇮🇳💰 — Wisden (@WisdenCricket) June 26, 2025 Meanwhile, earlier this year, the World Cricketers' Association (WCA) had released an extensive report titled: 'History, Embracing Change. A Unified Coherent Global Future' to fix the current 'broken global structure' of cricket. After a six-month review the WCA came up with key recommendations which include protected windows for international cricket, more equitable revenue distribution model that supports growth and competitive balance, better regulation of player movements in T20 leagues and an ICC that is a global governing body like FIFA and not a members' club. The report said the current global cricket's finances are not optimised, balanced or used effectively to achieve competitive balance and growth, resulting in the sport not reaching its global potential. Moreover, it also says players do not receive a fair earning relative to the wealth they generate. The report finds that 70% of the revenues are generated in just three months of the year and 83% of all revenue is shared between just three countries and the revenue generated by other than the Big Three — India, England and Australia — is less than 4%. From this, payments to players is approximately around 10% of all revenue. To improve this, the WCA wants an optimal calendar to be in place which could result in an additional $246 million revenue annually. It calls for the establishment of minimum and maximum distribution parameters of ICC revenues. As an example, it says 'a minimum 2% and maximum 10% for the top 24 countries, and a minimum 10% distribution collectively for countries 25+.' It means the BCCI share will cut from 38.5% to 10%. The WCA also wants in place a centralised Global Growth and Development Fund built from a percentage of ICC events revenue, T20 leagues and pooled media rights from CIC.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
What is Sir Keir Starmer's welfare bill and why is he facing a major Labour rebellion over it?
Why you can trust Sky News Sir Keir Starmer faces the biggest rebellion of his premiership next week when his controversial welfare reforms are voted on in the Commons. After initially securing support for the welfare bill - in principle, at least - a mutiny is building within the parliamentary party at the scale and potential impact of billions of pounds in cuts. More than 100 Labour MPs have now signed a "reasoned amendment" to oppose the government's proposals - which, if passed, would effectively kill the legislation. In the amendment, the MPs, who represent a broad spectrum of opinion in the party, call for a delay to assess the impact of cuts to personal independence payments (PIP), one of the main types of benefit for those living with a long-term health condition or disability. They also cite the government's own figures showing that 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, could be pushed into poverty as a result. Sky News takes a look at what the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill proposes and why the prime minister has a major rebellion on his hands. What are the welfare changes? PIP The biggest shakeup to the system involved changes to PIP - money given to people - some of whom are in work - who have extra care needs or mobility needs as a result of a disability. People who claim it are awarded points depending on their ability to do certain activities, such as washing and preparing food, and this influences how much they will receive. There are two components to PIP: the "living" component for everyday activities and the "mobility" component for getting around. From November 2026, people will need to score a minimum of four points in at least one activity to qualify for the daily living element of PIP - instead of fewer points spread across a range of tasks. The standard rate for the living component for PIP starts at £73.90 a week for the living component, while the higher rate is set at £110.40 per week. 8:08 Currently, the standard rate is given if people score between eight and 11 points overall, while the enhanced rate applies from 12 points. The changes to PIP will not affect the mobility component. It is estimated that the government's package would lead to 800,000 fewer people being eligible for PIP. Universal Credit Universal Credit, which is also claimed by those who are in and out of work, is also undergoing changes. The government intends to freeze the health element of Universal Credit, claimed by more than two million people, at £97 a week during this parliament, and cut the rate to £50 for new claimants. There will also be a consultation on delaying access to the health top-up on universal credit until someone is 22, with the savings to be reinvested into work support and training opportunities. However, ministers have pointed out that the standard universal credit allowance will be increased by £775 per year by 2029/30. The Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which determines if a person is fit for work, will be scrapped in 2028, with financial support for people who are sick or disabled determined solely through the PIP assessment. 1:14 Other reforms include: • Merging jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance • Introducing a "right to try" initiative so people who want to attempt to get back into work won't lose their benefits while they do • The government will provide £1bn for targeted support schemes to help disabled people into work. But it's estimated these will only help 70,000 people find employment. Why are some MPs unhappy? While many MPs believe reform of the system is necessary due to the ballooning cost of the welfare bill - with the cost of long-term sickness and disability benefits for working-age people forecast to hit £70bn over the next five years - they are concerned that the bill does not take the right approach. Concerns among backbenchers range from thinking the cuts are too harsh and will penalise some of the most vulnerable in society, to fear that not enough money and effort is going into the plan to get people into work, and that there has not been a formal consultation with disabled people. One Labour MP told Sky News they believed the fact that the text of the welfare bill was published before the end of the consultation was proof the government was "not listening". They said the £5bn savings package was a "hammer to crack a nut" and added: "We have gone for cut first and reform second. All we are doing is causing pain to people. "We have to make the savings, but this is not the right way to do it." What could the government do now? For now, the government is insisting that the vote on Tuesday will go ahead. Standing in for Sir Keir at the despatch box, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner defended the reforms, arguing that ministers "won't walk away and stand by and abandon millions of people trapped in the failing system". The prime minister repeated Ms Rayner's insistence, telling Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby at the NATO summit: "We're committed to reforming our welfare system. It doesn't work. It traps people. And it has to be reformed. "And it also has to ensure that we've got a welfare system that is fit for the future.
STV News
3 days ago
- Business
- STV News
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner to defend welfare reforms at PMQs
Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner is set to defend the UK Labour Government's welfare reforms amid a growing rebellion at PMQs on Wednesday. It's the second week in a row that Rayner is filling in for Starmer at PMQs. Last week, the Prime Minister was returning to the UK from the G7 summit in Canada. This week, Starmer is attending a Nato summit at The Hague. Discussions have focused on the volatile situation between Israel and Iran, with leaders, including Starmer, urging diplomacy and the maintenance of a fragile ceasefire. Although the growing global unrest is likely to come up, opposition leaders are expected to focus on a growing Labour party rebellion over the welfare reform proposals. Last week, the UK Government published more details about its proposals. The Bill seeks reductions to the Universal Credit health top up for new claims from April 2026, and to scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). There are plans to review PIP assessments and 'focus PIP on those with higher needs'. The Government tried to make some small concessions to appease unhappy Labour MPs, like ensuring that 200,000 people with the most severe and permanently disabling conditions' Universal Credit benefits would not be reassessed and promising a 13-week transition payment for people losing the daily living component of PIP. However, these clearly did not go far enough for some. On Tuesday, the names of more than 100 Labour MPs who signed an amendment to the welfare reform bill were revealed. Among the rebels are nine Scottish Labour MPs. The amendment essentially seeks to block the cuts to disability and sickness-related benefit payments. Starmer has already doubled down and vowed to press ahead with his Government's proposed welfare changes, despite the rebellion being large enough to wipe out Labour's working majority in Parliament. The Prime Minister will ultimately either be forced to concede and make changes to his welfare reform plans or rely on votes from opposition parties, like the Conservatives, to get the changes approved. Nonetheless, Rayner is likely to be challenged over the situation while she's filling in for Starmer on Wednesday. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Daily Maverick
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
WTC final is a moment for Test cricket to shine in a bustling world
Australia and South Africa will contest the third staging of the World Test Championship Final at Lord's, starting on Wednesday. The World Test Championship (WTC) might be the most convoluted 'World Cup' in sport, given the unique nature of five-day cricket and the impossible task of shoehorning it neatly into a 30-40-day package. But over the past two years, in this WTC cycle, the last two standing are South Africa and Australia. The cycle has thrown up a rivalry that has produced some of the best and most controversial Test cricket of the 21st century, which adds to its drama. Yes, the tournament structure is not equal, or even equitable, given the routes the two teams came through to reach the one-off final at Lord's, but how could they be in this format? South Africa played 12 matches in the cycle, while Australia played 19 (see explanation below). They didn't play the same opponents and series' were not equal in terms of number of matches. The structure of the WTC has been criticised, even by Wisden, cricket's unofficial holy book. The scepticism over the format is valid, but there is no perfect solution for an imperfect format that requires one aspect more than most sports – time. Survival Test cricket, in broad terms, is on life support thanks to the rise of T20 leagues, and the iron grip on the game's economics by India, and to a lesser extent Australia and England. At the start of the century there were nine capable Test playing nations with Zimbabwe on the cusp of becoming great. As the game evolved into a shorter contest, and the big three took financial control of the sport, the likes of Zimbabwe, which had its own internal issues, were cast off. A recent study and subsequent publication of the Global Game Structure Report by the World Cricketers' Association (WCA) found the current cricketing structure to be 'chaotic and confusing'. The report warned that it was vital to protect the traditions of cricket with the need to adapt to a changing world. Test cricket is the format under most threat. The report proposed a global calendar with designated scheduling windows, of four 21-day blocks, which are specific periods in the year when 'core international cricket' is prioritised. That is another way of saying 'Test cricket must be given clear space.' It's an interesting proposal. Yet, despite pressure from white ball cricket, the longest, purest, hardest, most inaccessible, and yet most absorbing form of the game still exists. It shouldn't exist, in a world of one-minute soundbites and videos, and where a 240-character social media post is considered enough to settle complex geopolitical arguments. Yet it does. Test cricket belongs more to the 19th century, never mind the 21st, but that only makes it more worthy of preservation. Maybe it's the one sport that can restore some civility and patience in the world by making people slow down, watch, and enjoy a narrative unfolding over days. The foibles of the WTC qualification process notwithstanding, this final is important to Australia and South Africa. But it's also a vital moment for the sport to tip its cap to the past, and give a nod to the future, acknowledging the foundation that gave us T20 cricket, while championing the relevance of a five-day contest. Criticism The Proteas have borne the brunt of the criticism for making the final, via a supposedly less challenging road. That is open to debate. The reality though, is that when it really mattered, when their backs were to the wall after a slow start to the current cycle, South Africa won six Tests in a row. They earned the right to be there. Proteas coach Shukri Conrad became testy this week at the line of interrogation, questioning South Africa's credentials as worthy WTC finalists. 'I'm tired of speaking about it, to be honest,' Conrad said before a training session on Monday. 'We're here and that's all that matters. We get a chance to walk away as the World Test champions, playing Australia. It doesn't get any bigger than that. What's gone before counts for absolutely nothing at the minute.' Economics meant that South Africa's top Test players stayed at home to compete in the 2024 SA20 rather than tour New Zealand for three Tests at the beginning of the current WTC qualification cycle. That's a direct result of the game being dominated by the big three, and an example of the sacrifices the likes of South Africa had to make. Reaching the WTC Final, in that context, is perhaps a much greater achievement than it appears. Australia captain Pat Cummins, in an extensive interview with the Guardian, admitted to some surprise to being up against the Proteas at Lord's. 'In some ways you expect India to be around. England have been quite strong at home and New Zealand always seem to get to finals. But the same case could be made for South Africa in ICC events. We just don't see a lot of them in Test cricket but it's nice and different to an Australia-India final,' Cummins told The Guardian. 'You can only beat who you come up against. Our route to the final was pretty tough, but I don't blame South Africa for having a different route.' Not all paths are the same, but these two teams have converged on Lord's in a match that should remind a bustling world that sometimes, slower is better. DM WTC FINAL QUALIFICATION BREAKDOWN 1. The League Stage (2023-2025) Participating Teams: Nine out of the 12 Test-playing nations participate in each WTC cycle. Each team plays six series – three at home and three away – against different opponents. The number of matches in each series can vary from two to five. Points System: Points for a Win: 12 points Points for a Tie: 6 points Points for a Draw: 4 points Points for a Loss: 0 points Percentage of Points (PCT) System: This is the crucial factor for ranking. Teams are ranked based on the percentage of points won out of the total points available from the matches they've played. This system was introduced to account for the unequal number of matches played by different teams due to scheduling complexities. 2. Road to the final for Australia and South Africa South Africa finished first in the league stage based on their percentage of points (69.44%). Their journey included: Started with a 1-1 drawn series against India at home. A 2-0 series defeat to New Zealand (when most front line players stayed home to compete in SA20). A 1-0 series win in the West Indies. Consecutive 2-0 wins against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. A 2-0 home series win against Pakistan, including a decisive two-wicket victory that sealed their final spot. Australia (Defending Champions) finished second with a percentage of points of 67.54%. Their path involved: Starting with a 2-2 drawn Ashes series in England. A 3-0 home whitewash against Pakistan. A 1-1 home draw against the West Indies, which included a surprising loss. A 2-0 away sweep against New Zealand. A 3-1 home series win against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which secured their spot in the final. They closed out their campaign with a 2-0 win over Sri Lanka.
NDTV
08-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
Oman Cricket Mess Triggers Storm, Players Yet To Be Paid T20 World Cup Prize Money
Oman Cricket has come under major scrutiny for refusing to distribute the prize money from the 2024 T20 World Cup to its players. In fact, the board has completely fazed out the 15 players that took part in the tournament, which was held in the US and West Indies. Oman finished bottom of Group C, also consisting the likes of England and Australia, and the board received a $225,000 (approx. Rs 1,93,01,737) prize money from the International Cricket Council (ICC) for successfully making it to the group stage of the tournament. As per ICC policy, a board must evenly distribute the prize money to its players within 21 days of the end of the event. While the ICC has confirmed that the prize money was paid to Oman, the players are yet to receive their shares, despite the tournament concluding almost a year back. According to the World Cricketers' Association (WCA), multiple participating boards from that tournament have yet to pay the full prize money to their players. Oman Cricket remains the only board yet to pay a single penny to its players. To make matters worst, the players have been completely sidelined by Oman Cricket for taking a stand for themselves. India-born batter Kashyap Prajapati, who has played 37 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Oman, is currently stuck in the US, hoping to secure a future for himself. "Our lives have been upended over this issue; we've lost our spot in the team, our contracts have been torn up, and we have been forced to leave the country," Prajapati told ESPNcricinfo. "It's just so confusing and we don't understand why the ICC isn't able to ensure we get paid the prize money we have earned, and why there isn't a safe space for us to raise concerns?" he added. Prajapati also revealed that the Oman players never received prize money from the 2021 edition either as they weren't aware of such a thing back then. Pacer Fayyaz Butt has also left the country after his employment visa was revoked. Most of the countries in the Gulf provide visas on the basis of employment. Fayyaz echoed Prajapati's sentiments, and now fears for his future. "It's been a massive loss for my career and professionally," Fayyaz Butt, who across five years played 30 ODIs and 47 T20Is for Oman, told ESPNcricinfo. "I had to leave Oman. I'm not working at the moment, looking for opportunities but our playing careers are over." Despite Oman Cricket's negligence on the matter, ICC is "hamstrung by not having a mechanism through which a board can be penalised for such non-payment." Last year, the ICC and WCA had reached an agreement on the policy of prize money for players, covering ten major ICC events in the cycle up to 2027.
