The ICC is pushing to have the World Cup every three years and the World T20 every alternate year © Getty

A 'conveniently' scheduled board meeting of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in Dubai on Monday became a thorn in the flesh of the BCCI barely hours after nominations were filed for the apex council positions here in Mumbai.

The ICC, led by chairman Shashank Manohar and chief executive Manu Sawhney, had lately been pushing for a new Future Tours Program (FTP) to be passed, one that carries the idea of a 50-over World Cup every three years (instead of four) and a World T20 every alternate year.

That push has now come to shove as the ICC board is all set to pass the new FTP without India, Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies' approval. Should that happen, highly placed sources in Indian cricket administration told TOI: "BCCI will not sign the Members' Participation Agreement (MPA) with the ICC."

Former BCCI presidents Anurag Thakur and N Srinivasan - who clearly do not agree with Manohar's style of functioning - are in no mood to relent this time. Once the new office-bearers assume office on October 23, the BCCI looks all set to resume its long-standing wrangle with the world governing body.

"In 2017, India came close to terminating their Members' Participation Agreement with the ICC ahead of the Champions Trophy, before the COA intervened. The ICC chairman should not forget that this time there won't be any such hindrance. India's interests at the ICC cannot be ignored and they (ICC) can't be going ahead with this (FTP) when the BCCI is busy restructuring. What's the hurry?" a top BCCI official told TOI.

On Saturday, Sawhney is learnt to have sidelined chief executives from the member boards to push forward the FTP and place it on the agenda for the board meeting.

India's representative at the ICC, Amitabh Choudhary, who has been barred by the Committee of Administrators from carrying his duties (due to a legal case), landed in Dubai on Saturday evening.

"Obviously he has landed there at the behest of Shashank. In his absence, BCCI wouldn't have been a participant. But he's there now and should he abstain from voting against the FTP, ICC will have enough votes from members like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and South Africa to see it through," said sources.

BCCI CEO Rahul Johri, also present at the chief executives meeting, is learnt to have opposed Sawhney's decision and informed the ICC that "BCCI elections are presently underway and it will only be prudent for the new board members to deliberate and provide their inputs on this issue before any final decision is taken."

But the question that members of the BCCI back home are asking is if it is already too less and too late?

The idea behind Sawhney's pursuit for a World Cup every three years and a World T20 every alternate year is believed to be maximization of revenue. "But what's the point of this revenue if it ends up driving a wedge in world cricket and its biggest stakeholders?" sources add.