eBusiness Weekly
Cricket South Africa’s chief executive officer, Pholetsi Moseki, said their annual International Cricket Council disbursement for the next four years will go a long way to easing their recent financial losses.
CSA’s earnings of just over R490 million may be shrivelled compared to the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) more than 20 percent share of the ICC’s revenue through their finance model, but what they’ve got has made them happy.
ESPNcricinfo reported in May that the BCCI was set to get 38,50 percent of the revenue share, with no other member getting more than 7 percent. After last week’s annual general meeting in Durban, the ICC didn’t release the figures, but Moseki said they were chuffed with what they’ve earned.
CSA will be receiving the money annually over the next four-year cycle until 2027.
“We never get all of our money from the ICC, but they’re a very important contributor to our pool,” Moseki told News24.
“Our pool, though, has increased significantly and we’re quite happy with that. It’s always nice to get more, but compared to what was leaked two months ago, there’s a slight improvement.
“It is what it is, but we’re definitely happier with what we’ve got, and it’ll help balance the books, especially with the R200 million losses we’ve been incurring.
“It still remains important for us to get other sources of revenue apart from media rights.”
Moseki said there were no qualms with the BCCI getting the lion’s share of the revenue as they bring in the bulk of it through their extensive viewership.
Australia and England, the next two big cricket markets, were dwarfed by India’s claim, despite the game’s popularity in the two countries.
“Even though there were concerns that were raised, we all understood India is basically responsible for most of this revenue,” Moseki said.
“It’s a good thing that it’s not really aligned from a one-to-one perspective because things would be skewed.
“We all would’ve wanted to get more money, but they’re responsible for the bulk of the revenue.”
The good times are set to continue for CSA with India’s end-of-year tour confirmed last week. There may be one Test less as compared to the standard three since the 1996/97 tour, but there are three ODIs and three T20s that will be complemented by two Tests.
Significantly, there’s the return of the traditional New Year’s Test at Newlands, a game that hasn’t taken place since the 2019/20 summer when England were the visitors.
Moseki said India remains everyone’s favourite tourist from a financial perspective.
“Every time there’s an India tour, it is very helpful for the coffers,” Moseki said.
“And, this is applicable to all members, even for Australia and England because they also look forward to an Indian tour. It helps to bump up our revenue and its importance this time lies in the fact that it’s a multi-format tour. We had a curtailed tour and this one will significantly bump up our books.” — news24
