New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has reportedly reiterated its stance that it will be getting regular tours by the 'Big Three' nations- England, Australia and India, and rejected concerns that New Zealand would be cast into the international cricket's 'wilderness'.
The 21-page document containing the proposed revamp of the ICC's structure proposes scrapping the Future Tours Programme, which underpins a fair chunk of NZC's income from television rights, notably from the current tour by world powerhouses India.
Stuff.co.nz reports that tours would be bilaterally agreed and no team would be forced to host 'uneconomic tours', although NZC board member and chief negotiator Martin Snedden reiterated his positive forecast and insisted that NZC can lock in regular tours by the big three nations.
Snedden dismissed speculation that New Zealand would be relegated and live off the 'crumbs' thrown by the 'Big Three' and saw the proposal as a starting point for negotiations, not a locked in document, adding that a quality home and away schedule was achievable and believed India, England and Australia would still be willing to enter into bilateral agreements with NZC.
Snedden also said that they would be ensuring reciprocal tours within a four-year time frame that involves a Test and ODI and T20 mix similar to what they have now, and supported the formula around the revenue sharing model which proposes that India receive 63 percent of 'contribution costs', while New Zealand and most of the other nations get around two percent of this.