| FICA responds to the outcomes of the ICC Board meeting and Annual Conference, which took place in London this week, as follows.
Concussion Replacements and Minimum Medical Standards
FICA has consistently advocated for the inclusion of concussion replacements and the establishment of minimum medical standards in international cricket and it therefore supports the ICC’s decision to introduce these. “Given the potentially devastating consequences of certain injuries that may occur in cricket FICA urges all governing bodies to prioritise the implementation of these important changes,” said FICA Executive Chairman, Tony Irish.
Suspension of Zimbabwe
FICA notes that Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) has been suspended as a member of ICC but has urged ICC to consider the effect that this will have on the players in that country. “The Zimbabwean players have endured years of hardship under the previous board of ZC,” said Irish. “This has included many instances of non-payment and frequent breaches of their playing contracts. We have asked ICC to consider some mechanism to enable player contracts to be honoured despite the unfortunate suspension of the new Board of ZC. Some of the domestic players in Zimbabwe live a hand-to-mouth existence, and there is an important ‘human’ element to this situation which we believe needs to be addressed.”
Over Rates
FICA notes the introduction of Test Championship points deductions and team based fines as sanctions for slow over rates. “FICA and the players acknowledge that maintaining acceptable over rates is an important issue but we need to seek greater clarity from the ICC on how these new arrangements will work in practice,” said Irish.
ICC Women’s Committee
FICA welcomes the newly established Women’s Committee. “We will work with our Player Advisory Group and with players’ associations, and their players, around the world to ensure that the collective views of the current women players are accurately represented on this committee,” said Irish.
Global Regulation
An ICC Working Group, which includes FICA, continues to work on the development of global regulation to apply to players and to cricket events around the world. “FICA continues to advocate for agreed, fit for purpose regulation which, together with a holistic review of the global game economics and a more coherent global playing schedule, will assist in minimizing the ongoing, and growing, conflict between domestic T20 leagues and international cricket, and will help to ensure that an appropriate balance between these two distinct cricketing landscapes is achieved,” said Irish. “Both are important to the future of the game and their co-existence is critical.”
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