In part two of this report, It is however understood that, when the discontinuation of the Targeted Assistance and Performance Programme (TAPP) is taken into account, a number of leading Associates will receive less ICC funding. Cricket Scotland are understood to be over $200,000 worse off comparing 2014-15 and 2015-16. The Netherlands, UAE and Kenya are other prominent countries that have suffered an overall funding reduction.
Privately, senior ICC figures say that they are looking for a more efficient funding scheme to replace TAPP, perhaps called an ODI or Cricket Fund. They also stressed that TAPP was only introduced in 2012, midway through the last rights cycle, and expect an equivalent scheme to be implemented much quicker in the current rights cycle.
Given the ongoing review into the ICC's funding distribution model. David Richardson, the ICC chief executive, said, "It would be pointless to speculate further at this stage as to whether any particular group of members will be better or worse off financially than before."
Associate nations have been encouraged by Shashank Manohar's words since taking over as ICC chairman. One senior source said they were hopeful that India's share of ICC revenue would be reduced, perhaps from 22% to 16%, as previously reported, and this could lead to the overall pot for Associate and Affiliate nations increasing from $299 million to $325-350 million from 2015 to 2023. Another figure said that Manohar has been surprised that Zimbabwe receive over $5 million more than Afghanistan and Ireland from the ICC, and hoped to close this gap substantially. Funding shortages are expected to have made Ireland, for example, unable to commit to some ODIs they have arranged in 2016 and beyond.
Any increased funding towards Associate members is likely to follow the recent trend of Associate spending being targeted more aggressively towards the highest-ranked nations like Afghanistan and Ireland. Because of their inclusion on the 12-team ODI rankings table, Afghanistan and Ireland receive an extra $1.7 million a year from the ICC, and around $2.5 million annually in total from the ICC. "Their funding success has come at the expense of other Associates and Affiliates," Malcolm Cannon, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland, said in December.
Countries in the World Cricket League Championship, the competition for the next rung of Associates in ODI cricket, receive only $300,000 a year for participation in the tournament, and none currently receive more than $1.2 million in total a year.
The objective is therefore to provide more funding to the likes of Ireland, Afghanistan and others who have the potential to compete successfully at the highest level, preferably without reducing the level of funding available for distribution to the other members from what they collectively received before.
This marks a continuation of the process in 2008, when Associate and Affiliate nations decided to pool their funding and divide it up according to the scorecard, thereby rewarding countries making progress. Several representatives stressed that they supported the increased funding for the top Associates but felt the overall funding pot for Associates and Affiliates was insufficient given the rise in the value of ICC commercial deals.
Some Associate representatives remain unconvinced. "Whether the changes will affect the smaller Associates and Affiliates remains to be seen," Farmiloe said. He also expressed his concern that World Cricket League Six has been scrapped; in total, since 2012, the number of divisions in the World Cricket League has fallen from eight to five. "The cutting of WCL excludes many countries vying to better their cricket. Also, the big question is what the ICC regional offices will do without a budget."
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