Dr. Ali Bacher, the former South African Test captain, led the crucial series of cricket matches between India and South Africa in 1991, which signaled their comeback from isolation. Bacher, who oversaw the 1991–1992 tour of India, lobbied for live telecasts of three historic One-Day Internationals in South Africa. This move brought new life to the BCCI’s domain and sparked the commercialization of cricket in India.
Ali Bacher, who is well-known for bringing South African cricket into the mainstream after apartheid, disagreed with the India, Australia, and England boards’ hegemony in determining the cricket calendar. This, in his opinion, marginalizes other cricket-playing nations. Ali Bacher expressed dissatisfaction with this narrow hierarchy and argued for a more inclusive approach, even if he played a crucial role in raising Proteas cricket.
Spreading the game was my goal as chairman of the ICC Development Committee. Now, that is not the case. These days, Australia, England, and India rule cricket. Three countries have been marginalized: Pakistan, South Africa, and the West Indies. That is not ideal. The Times of India cited Ali Bacher as saying, “You have to expand the game.”
The issue is that India controls the majority of the entire cricket economy, with 70% of all revenue coming through India. The growth of smaller countries is something I am really passionate about,” he continued.
Ali Bacher questions the success of cricket in the United States.
With first steps include awarding the country co-hosting rights for the next T20I World Cup and suggesting cricket’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the ICC aimed to support the sport in the United States. The former South African Test captain from the pre-apartheid era was not optimistic about the situation despite this.
“I doubt it will expand as rapidly in the USA as you anticipate. In order to enter the United States as chairman of the ICC Development Committee, I was eager to promote cricket. Yeah, it’s challenging. Just a little portion of the US market can be obtained with billions and billions of dollars. Sincerely, after two instances, I decided to call it a day. It was not going to take place. Cricket should flourish in Asia, which is how it should happen. There is a ton of untapped potential. “It’s way too expensive to be in the United States,” he remarked.
India
