NEW DELHI, 19 July 2004 — India, the world’s largest market for cricket, is not the place to hold major tournaments because of the government’s high tax rates, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday.
ICC president Ehsan Mani, visiting India with his chief executive Malcolm Speed, said the country may not be allotted the next edition of the Champions Trophy in 2006 if the taxation policy did not change.
“The ICC cannot afford to shell out 40 to 50 percent tax for major tournaments like the World Cup or the Champions Trophy,” Mani told reporters, referring to the government’s entertainment tax on all international matches.
“The ICC is not a profit-making body. Even the Caribbean governments have waived all taxes for the next World Cup in the West Indies in 2007. If the Indian government does not resolve its tax position, they might not get the next Champions Trophy in 2006.
“It will be difficult to bring cricket to India.”
India, with millions of cricket-mad viewers, has the largest television audience for the sport in the world. At least five of the six major sponsors for ICC events are India-specific.
The next Champions Trophy, featuring the 10 Test-playing nations besides Kenya and the United States, will be held in England in September.
