2 weeks ago
ICC CEO: Random bilaterals over; Test and ODI need reinvention
Cricket is a sport played with a bat and ball.
There are different ways to play it, like Test matches that last for days, one-day matches, and short T20 matches.
The person in charge of cricket around the world, Sanjog Gupta, says things need to change.
He says teams can no longer just play each other in random matches with no real meaning.
Fans want matches that matter, like games that lead to a big championship.
The ICC wants one-day cricket to stay, especially around the World Cup.
Test cricket is very old and famous, but many young people find it hard to watch.
Mr. Gupta says that is especially true outside a few countries like India, England, and Australia.
He thinks cricket can learn from events like Wimbledon and golf's Masters, which stayed special while changing with the times.
Mr. Gupta says cricket must keep growing or it might lose fans.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the era of randomly scheduled bilateral cricket series is over.
Gupta said boards can no longer sustain bilateral series without providing fans with context, culture, competition and competitiveness.
He called for Test and ODI formats to be reinvented to remain relevant in the age of T20 leagues.
He said ODI identity should connect to the men's and women's World Cups, and a dedicated ODI window before the World Cup has been discussed.
He cited Wimbledon and golf's Masters as prestigious events that reinvented themselves, and called the World Test Championship Final an event of significance.
- Who
- Sanjog Gupta, Chief Executive of the International Cricket Council (ICC)
- What
- Announced that 'random' bilateral series are over and called for reinvention of Test and ODI cricket to stay relevant in the age of T20 leagues
- Where
- Not specified in the article; the report carries a New Delhi dateline
- When
- Not specified in the article
- Why
- Because cricket boards cannot sustain the sport without context, and cricket must keep evolving or risk losing relevance as audiences fragment
Key facts
- Speaker
- Sanjog Gupta, ICC CEO
- Main message
- Random bilateral series are over; Test and ODI formats need reinvention
- Context
- Age of T20 leagues and increasingly fragmented fan attention
- Test cricket concern
- Financial and popularity challenges outside India, England and Australia
- ODI proposal
- Dedicated ODI window ahead of the World Cup discussed
- Examples cited
- Wimbledon and golf's Masters as reinvented prestigious events
- World Test Championship
- Final now an event of significance; it did not exist seven years ago
Quotes
Sanjog Gupta
ICC CEO
“The World Test Championship Final is now an event of significance,”
thehansindia.com
“Our ambition has to be growth,”
thehansindia.com







