The MCC recommends a “significant reduction” in ODI cricket after 2027

The 13-member committee proposes that “bilateral ODIs be abolished, except in the year preceding each World Cup”

The MCC has proposed restricting men’s bilateral ODI cricket beyond the 2027 World Cup, questioning the format’s value in an already packed calendar.

The MCC’s World Cricket Committee met on the sidelines of the recent Ashes Test at Lord’s and has come to the conclusion that in a world where T20 franchise tournaments grow throughout the year, something has to give.
The 13-member committee, chaired by former England captain Mike Gatting, hopes that “the scarcity of ODI cricket would improve the quality achieved by removing bilateral ODIs outside of each World Cup year. This would also create much-needed space in the global cricket calendar.”

The ICC and its various members have been grappling with this situation for some time. Jason Roy is giving up part of his extension contract with England to play in the US Major League Cricket (MLC). Trent Boult opted out of a key contract with New Zealand last year and the IPL has expanded to a two-month window in which its franchises have also bought teams from other leagues, leading to players being offered year-round T20 contracts.

The FTP for the 2023-27 season is more or less set. “Nothing will be removed,” ICC chief cricket officer Wasim Khan said in May. But he also emphasized that going forward, the international game must find a way to coexist with the ever-growing T20 league.

Our customer center wants to know how much it really costs to organize a test match
Test cricket has its own challenges. It is a widely held belief that very few countries do not lose money by hosting the five-day game. For example, in 2017 Zimbabwe explored the possibility of playing the majority of their matches abroad due to these concerns. To address this, the MCC World Cricket Committee has asked the ICC to conduct a Test match audit to establish a ‘Test Fund’.

“This operating cost audit [of hosting a Test match] versus commercial revenue would help the ICC identify countries in need of support to sustain the Test match programme,” an MCC press release said on Tuesday. This need could later be met through a separate Test fund set up to “protect the sanctity of Test cricket”.

The Test Fund was set up by the ICC after the big boards of the BCCI, ECB and CA took administrative control in 2014. However, it didn’t last long.
Gatting, who is stepping down as chairman of the committee, added: “Cricket is growing in many ways and appears on the surface to be financially strong. However, we are increasingly seeing a game that focuses on a powerful few, as opposed to a democratic and inclusive approach for the benefit of the sport as a whole.

“It’s time to reset the global game. Too often member states are living hand to mouth with their cricket operations rather than having a long term viable strategy to ensure the future of the game in their country both financially and in terms of participation.

“We are currently embarking on a new ICC Future Tours program and funding cycle and would recommend further evidence that the necessary funding is being allocated directly to cricket’s strategic needs.”
The World Cricket Committee also advised the establishment of a “substantial and protected fund” exclusively for the growth of women’s cricket. The money can be “disbursed as needed to Full Members and Associate Nations who, among other key initiatives, fully commit to the Women’s Pathway and National Team. The WCC also believes that in order to become a full member of the ICC, each country must commit to investing in both men’s and women’s cricket and establishing a national women’s team.
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