Why the ICC Is Bypassing Player Unions for Its Big Cricket Gaming Dream

Imagine a fast-paced mobile cricket game featuring Sachin hitting sixes, Dhoni finishing games, and AB de Villiers playing unbelievable shots. Now imagine it never happened… because of bureaucracy. That’s the dilemma the International Cricket Council (ICC) is facing as it builds a mobile gaming platform. The ICC, instead of dealing with the players’ union – the World Cricketers Association (WCA) – is opting for a more direct (and contentious) course of action: acquiring player rights through national boards. It is very ambitious, it is risky, and quite fascinating.

Why Skip the Players’ Union? The ICC’s Calculated Move

Control is the key element in this change. At the April meeting of the ICC Board in Harare, the ICC has directed that any rights to the mobile game are to be contracted through member boards, and not the WCA, as it dealt with in the past. There are no third-party negotiations, no third-party relationships, just board-to-board contracts. It is likely the ICC is trying to streamline the entire process, as there can be convoluted contracts with players operating with multiple levels of authority, which will delay their ability to execute. 

But it does mean that players who are associated with the WCA, in particular, who may have significant union relationships, could feel they have less representation, and will have to place their trust in whatever transparency their associations provide. Is it faster? Probably. Is it fairer? That’s up for debate.

The Legend Dilemma: What About Retired Superstars?

And here we run into a real problem. Tendulkar, Dhoni, AB de Villiers, and even Brett Lee are not on board contracts anymore, so how the ICC plans to put them in this mega-game is beyond me. After all, what global game of cricket is going to put on its roster of players without the legends who have contributed to the game?

The ICC raised the issue at the Annual Conference in Singapore, and they have suggested forming a working group to address the complex legalities and logistics of onboarding retired legends as player options. Because let’s face it, no fan is going to want to play with the current rosters.

Massive Stakes: The Gaming Goldmine the ICC’s After

Let’s talk about money – and big money. The global value of the gaming industry was valued in 2022 at $249.55 billion and is expected to increase and potentially triple by 2030, with Asia-Pacific accounting for 46% of that contribution. Put that in perspective: that is four times what some cricket boards would make in a decade. ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta told everyone, “It will be bigger than the movies. 

The ICC also engaged A&W Capital to develop revenue and distribution models that the ICC claimed would “get it right.” A&W beat out the likes of Deloitte and BCG for the commission and funding assignment primarily because of their experience in the Indian gaming market. The ITT (Invitation To Tender) will be due in September, and the ICC intends to agree on a preferred partner in October.

The Mirpur pitch argument isn’t solely about one ground – it’s indicative of how infrastructure can hinder a team from succeeding. The BCB has taken a step in the right direction by going public with this admission, but now they must act. If Bangladeshi cricket is to develop, it should have a home pitch that challenges both bat and ball, rather than one that turns every match into a spin pot-luck.