大象传媒

Since then, , which produces 80% of world cricket's income, has exercised its economic power to dictate the agenda for the world game while other countries give every appearance of being awed by its .

They are behaving like rabbits caught in the headlights.

Take, for example, the launch of the in India - both offering and attracting cricketers in droves - which have caused a furore around the world.

However, Speed's comments must be seen in context. For the last few months, his relationship with , who is president of the ICC following the death of fellow South African Percy Sonn, has all but broken down.

I am told that for months the two men were barely on speaking terms. They now talk and exchange e-mails, but they are miles apart on various issues, most notably . This will come as no surprise to those who read my blog.

Back in June, just before the ICC was due to holds its annual meeting at Lord's, I disclosed that I had seen a seen a copy of Speed鈥檚 confidential report.

In it, he wrote: "My personal view, shared by the cricket committee and ICC senior management, is that the game in Zimbabwe and, more widely, the rest of the cricket world will not be well served by Zimbabwe resuming Test cricket at this stage.

鈥淚t is respectfully suggested that we must find other ways to assist cricketers in Zimbabwe.鈥�

Mali did not agree with that view, prompting a breach between the two men that has not yet been healed.

The problems in Zimbabwe cricket are and but a very damaging emerged at the Lord's meeting last summer. I had access to this forensic audit report, which was co-signed by Speed and the ICC's chief financial officer Faisal Hasnain.

The conclusion Speed and Hasnain drew was devastating.

"It is clear that the accounts of ZC (Zimbabwe Cricket) have been deliberately falsified to mask various illegal transactions from the auditors and government of Zimbabwe."

Indeed, so serious did Speed and Hasnian feel the situation was that they concluded "it may not possible to rely on the authenticity of its balance sheet".

The result was that accounting firm KPMG South Africa was asked to carry out a forensic audit, the results of which will be presented to the board in Dubai.

The British government is very interested in this report. Andy Burnham, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he met Speed, Mali, David Morgan, the incoming ICC President, and Giles Clarke, the chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Depending what the report says, the government will decide whether it will allow Zimbabwe cricket officials to come to Lord's this summer for the annual ICC meeting.

If the government refuse to grant them visas, the ICC may move the meeting, effectively cutting its last link with Lord's, its former home.

Dubai should also see the ICC announce the replacement for Speed. It will be interesting if it is , former head of the Indian Cricket Board who is now India's representative on the ICC.

More than a decade ago, he was a contender for the first Indian to become president of the ICC. However, the post went to his successor as head of the Indian board, Jagmohan Dalmiya, who got the job only after fierce resistance from England and Australia.

This was a time when England and Australia, as founding members of the ICC, had veto powers and India's economic power had not yet emerged with quite the force it has.

All that has changed. India's power is almost unchallenged in the corridors of the ICC, as Bindra's election would no doubt confirm.