With the popularity of traditional formats on the wane, international cricket certainly needs a rethink, though, the way forward is complex. In its search for direction, the International Cricket Council (ICC), will deliberate a number of proposals for structural overhaul of the game, during its annual conference from July 8-11. While some of the suggestions from major consultancy McKinsey, such as reducing the length of One Day Internationals (from 50 overs), aren’t new, they merit fresh discussion. Ideas such as
With the popularity of traditional formats on the wane, international cricket certainly needs a rethink, though, the way forward is complex. In its search for direction, the International Cricket Council (ICC), will deliberate a number of proposals for structural overhaul of the game, during its annual conference from July 8-11. While some of the suggestions from major consultancy McKinsey, such as reducing the length of One Day Internationals (from 50 overs), aren’t new, they merit fresh discussion. Ideas such as organising multilateral series, creating continental Championships, a World Club Championship for T20 franchises, and fixed time windows for different formats will also be on the table. This reforms conference is the ICC’s attempt to draw some attention back from the T20 leagues that are dominating the sport in terms of eyeballs and revenue. But to get any of this to work, they will first have to make sure India, the financial engine, is on board with the ideas. There is no clarity on that at the moment.
As of now, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is busy canvassing for a September-October window for the Indian Premier League (IPL). Driven by extreme heat during summer and a planned expansion to a 94-match season starting in 2028, IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has sought a different time window many times in the past. However, this will require a major realignment from all the other boards and ICC. Then there is the biggest stumbling block: There just aren’t enough quality Test and ODI teams. Each format has its own audience but they only click when teams at a similar level play each other. T20 is a relatively easier format in terms of competitiveness. The older formats also require time — the rarest resource on the planet these days.
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