ICC board passes controversial reform plans

The reform plan will now provide Associate Members a clear pathway to play Test cricket. The winner of the next ICC Intercontinental Cup will be entitled to take part in a play-off against the bottom-ranked Full Member and, if successful, obtain Test status.
    
This complements the pathways that are already in place for any member to be able to qualify for the major events in ODI and T20I cricket.
    
ICC President Alan Isaac hailed the move and said: "The Board has made some significant decisions today which provide us with long-term certainty in relation to the future governance, competition and financial models of the ICC.
    
"This decision comes after extensive discussions between members that I helped initiate and were given impetus through a position paper presented by the BCCI, Cricket Australia and ECB in early January."
    
"Since this time a set of resolutions have been drafted, negotiated and modified - based on a set of principles agreed by the ICC Board on January 28 - and finalised at the meeting today. There were eight Full Members who were in a position to support the resolution today and the two who abstained have pledged to further discuss the issues with an aim to reaching unanimous approval over the coming weeks," he said.
    
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson added: "We now have clear direction from the Board and it is our job to implement the approved resolution."