Cricket changes almost every six months now, and the surge in franchise T20 cricket is the main reason behind it. Although everyone benefits from these fast-paced, thrilling and entertaining T20 matches, players who are at the helm of this glorified form of cricket eventually suffer.
And so do the longer forms of the game – the ODIs and Tests.
Even though Test cricket is said to be able to prolong its presence, 50-over cricket is at risk of facing the ultimate wrath. Cricket’s apex body, the ICC, is planning radical changes to cricket calendars and to introduce a new World Club T20 tournament, in an effort to preserve players and all three forms of the game.
Although the idea will be discussed first among the 12 full members at ICC’s next meeting in July 2026, let alone executing it, given the scheduled FTPs at least until 2031, here are five crucial questions we will address on how it could impact cricket.
Why is the ICC considering such major changes to the international cricket calendar, and what challenges is it trying to address?
The ICC finds itself in a deadlock over preserving all three formats of the game, including the T20Is, in the face of the threat posed by the franchise leagues running throughout the year. The ICC wants to divide windows for each format and introduce a new tournament called World Club T20 – similar to the now-defunct Champions League T20. This step would ideally help players’ availability for their national teams and franchises worldwide.
Could a World Club T20 tournament make franchise cricket more influential than international cricket?
It ideally could, or maybe not. Even though the ICC would also be concerned about franchise cricket out-sizing the international formats, forming a World Club T20 tournament, featuring top teams from all franchise leagues across the globe, could create a mega showdown and a revenue-minting project.
Should the 50-over ODI format be shortened to remain relevant in the era of T20 cricket?
In another step, the ICC plans to shorten ODIs to 40 overs per side; to make it relevant in this age and time of franchise-league cricket, it also contemplates playing 50-over cricket only 18 months before a World Cup. Although it would mean that bilateral cricket would suffer its ultimate death, the ICC could keep the excitement for One-Dayers running among the fans, who seemed to have sidelined the format in countries outside the big three (India, Australia and England).
How would these proposed reforms affect the BCCI, the IPL and India’s position in world cricket?
BCCI and Indian Cricket work as an economic engine for world cricket, and a calendar shake-up of this magnitude would depend heavily on the richest cricketing board. While the introduction of fixed international windows would secure a two-and-a-half-month summer block for the IPL, ensuring players’ availability without scheduling constraints, it could potentially create a rift with the ICC over its desire to take more centralised control over multilateral or continental tournaments.
What impact could an expanded World Test Championship have on the future of Test cricket and emerging cricket nations?
The idea of expanding the WTC by including teams like Ireland, Afghanistan and even Zimbabwe would boost the format’s lifeline, providing the minnows with the opportunity to host and travel to top countries and fight for the coveted prize. Meanwhile, for this idea to become fruitful, the ICC must allow one-off Tests to be part of the WTC cycles, a massive shift from the traditional scheduling. Moreover, with top teams playing lower-ranked sides, it would provide financial incentives and structural purpose to those boards that otherwise lose money hosting non-contextual, standalone Test matches.