Richard Boock: India's TV revenues bankroll the world game

India have been accused of so many things over the past week that it would be no surprise to find they've also been fingered for the disappearance of Atlantis, the assassination of JFK and the hole in the ozone layer.

The former doormats of colonial cricket, India managed to rattle a few cages at ICC headquarters after threatening to boycott the Champions Trophy and Future Tours Programme, and to set up their own alternative itinerary.

Not only did they make known their dissatisfaction with the ICC's events and scheduling, they also started making noises about developing their own television arm, and demanding a slice of overseas revenue when their national side tours.

And to be fair, they have some valid points.

The only surprise, for a country that has held all the cards for the past decade, is that it's taken so long for them to start playing their hand.

What exactly should India stand accused of?

Well, for underpinning the budgets of more than half of the ICC's test-playing nations, for a start.

Such is the value of their television rights industry that a tour from India means a multi-million-dollar windfall for the host nation. This is something that does much to bankroll New Zealand Cricket's budget over four-year cycles.

If it were not for that, the cricket boards of teams such as New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan would struggle; the West Indies would likely founder, and those at Bangladesh and Zimbabwe would almost certainly go under.

India have already started talking about wanting a share of their overseas-generated television rights and it's hard to deny their point, given the value of the packages are determined by their own domestic markets.

NZC don't receive $24 million for hosting Rahul Dravid's team because of the marketing value of a Chris Cairns or a Stephen Fleming; they get it because of the competition among overseas and Indian TV channels.

As for the scheduling, India have rightly cried foul over the tardy way their peak domestic season has been carved up by the ICC, who always schedule the Champions Trophy tournament in October-November.

It took a while, but the latest Indian administration have finally cottoned on to the fact that Australia always seem to have an uninterrupted summer for their VB tri-series, and that England always seem to be free to stage their NatWest equivalent.

The ICC's apparent reluctance to correct the balance has now led to more radical statements from India, to the extent that there's new fears that unfashionable sides like New Zealand will be condemned to a second tier of competition.

This has already been a grim week for New Zealand cricket-lovers.

Yesterday they not only discovered that the world-class Indian side wouldn't be touring next summer as planned, but also that their only incoming visit would be from either Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

However, that news would pale into insignificance alongside a move to embrace a top tier of more high-profile teams such as India, Australia and England, and a lower tier of also-rans like New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

It would be terrible for the game within New Zealand, a near disaster in terms of the national squad, and almost certainly counter-productive when it comes to the long-term growth of international cricket.

That's why it's important that the ICC haul its collective head out of the sand quickly and start making some dead-set concessions to the Indian board over scheduling, even if it means disrupting the comfortable rides of Australia and England.

When you think about it, India has held the whip hand for a long time without ever previously finding a need to use it.

For everyone's sake - but particularly for cricket's minnows such as New Zealand - the ICC should be desperate to ensure it stays that way.