ICC CEO Advocates for Structured ODI Matches, Critiques Random Bilateral Series

The International Cricket Council (ICC) CEO Sanjog Gupta has called for an end to “randomly scheduled” bilateral series, emphasizing the need for context and competitiveness in cricket to ensure its sustainability. Gupta, who took office in July 2022, stated that countries must invest resources—both financial and non-financial—to maintain the game’s structure.

Gupta stressed the importance of four key drivers—context, culture, competition, and competitiveness—in fostering fan engagement. He believes the One Day International (ODI) format can not only survive but also thrive, especially as it is closely linked to the men’s and women’s World Cups. His remarks came as the ODI format faces challenges, particularly with the rise of T20 leagues worldwide.

Recent discussions about the ODI format have intensified, particularly following the 5000th ODI match played last week in Dundee between Scotland and Canada. The next ODI World Cup is scheduled for October-November 2027, set to take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. The ICC has recently revamped the tournament’s structure, introducing a Super Series round prior to the group stages and a new Super 7 before the semi-finals.

However, this new structure has faced criticism from Cricket Scotland and the KNCB, the Netherlands Cricket Board, particularly concerning the tri-series format for the bottom qualifying teams. The 2027 World Cup will be the first ICC event under the new Future Tours Programme (FTP) cycle for 2027-2031, which will also include a new cycle of media rights.

Critics of bilateral cricket, including former South African captain Graeme Smith, have highlighted a lack of “context” and “consistency” when matches are not played between top teams. Similarly, Jonty Rhodes has expressed concerns about the future of ODIs, suggesting that while the format faces challenges, it may not disappear entirely.

Reflecting on the impact of T20 cricket on Test matches, Rhodes noted that concerns about T20 overshadowing Tests have not materialized, but he fears for the future of the 50-over format. “We are fortunate that what 50-overs cricket has is really passionate fans who support their team no matter what format,” he remarked.

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