The committee has urged “removing bilateral ODIs, other than in the one-year preceding each World Cup.”
The MCC’s WCC, which is headed by former England captain Mike Gatting (outgoing president) and contains stalwarts of the sport like former India captain Sourav Ganguly, Jhulan Goswami, Heather Knight Ramiz Raza, Justin Langer, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara and Eoin Morgan, met lately at Lord’s forward of the second Ashes Test for an “assessment of the state of the global game.”
As per a launch by the MCC on Tuesday, the committee “questioned the role of men’s ODI cricket now plays outside of the ICC World Cups, and recommended it be significantly reduced following the completion of the 2027 ICC Men’s World Cup.” The suggestion is {that a} shortage of ODI cricket would improve the standard, achieved by eradicating bilateral ODIs, aside from within the one-year previous every World Cup. This would, as a consequence, additionally create much-needed area within the international cricketing calendar.”
‘Introduce strategic funds for Tests & women’s game’
The MCC panel has also proposed strategic funds to protect Test cricket & drive the women’s game. The committee highlighted that a widening disparity between nations is evolving, with the current model heavily favouring the minority who dominate a system that, without intervention, has the potential to not suitably benefit the international game. “The committee voiced particular concern for the survival of Test cricket in nations outside of India, Australia and England, with the associated impact brought about by a narrowing competition pool,” talked about the MCC launch.
The committee, subsequently, has really helpful that the ICC undertake a “Test match financial audit,” which might assist it “identify nations in need of support in order to sustain a Test match programme,” following which “this need could be a subsequently addressed via a separate Test match fund, established to protect the sanctity of Test match cricket.”
“The committee continues to hear of the growing unaffordability to host men’s Test match cricket in many nations and concluded that the game currently lacks quantifiable data on the costs of hosting a Test match across its member nations. To address this lack of insight, it proposed a recommendation for the ICC to undertake a Test match financial audit to provide a clearer picture. This audit of operational costs versus commercial return would help the ICC identify nations in need of support in order to sustain a Test match programme. This need could be subsequently addressed via a separate Test fund, established to protect the sanctity of Test match cricket,” talked about the MCC launch.
The WCC really helpful that the ICC’s males’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) from 2028 ought to have an “equitable schedule of matches for all member countries, rewarding hosts and nations alike.”
“Ahead of the next iteration of the ICC men’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) in 2028, it calls on the ICC to ensure the men’s FTP beyond 2027 has an equitable schedule of matches for all full member countries, rewarding hosts and touring nations alike. The goal must be to secure a balanced, meaningful, and commercially viable FTP for all, which prioritises bilateral cricket, finds suitable space for franchise cricket yet, in particular, supports the full potential of the ICC World Test Championship to be recognised,” the MCC launch talked about.
The MCC launch quoted outgoing WCC chairman Gatting as saying: “In some ways, cricket is rising and, on the floor, appears financially sturdy. However, we’re more and more seeing a sport which focuses on a robust few, versus a democratic and inclusive strategy for the good thing about the entire sport. It’s time for the worldwide sport to reset. Too usually, member nations are discovering themselves residing hand to mouth with their cricketing operations, versus having a long-term, viable technique in place that future-proofs the sport of their nation, each financially and by way of participation.”
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com