The International Cricket Council (ICC) will not introduce a World Club Championship or additional international multilateral tournaments until 2031 at the earliest, following resistance from England, Australia and India.
After informal discussions between the ICC and member boards over several months, a cricket operations workshop in Dubai last week concluded without any additional events being proposed. The next edition of the Future Tours Programme (FTP), covering 2027 to 2031, will therefore mirror the current cycle.
Possible expansion of World Test Championship
The one possible change to the next FTP is the expansion of the World Test Championship to 12 teams from next year, with the addition of Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, although the ICC has yet to issue finalised plans to its members.
The ICC remains eager to explore new competitions as it seeks to grow the sport and its own revenues, which is likely to lead to tension with the so-called Big Three. In reality, India are out on their own as they generate around 70% of cricket’s global revenue.
New concepts under discussion
The ICC is understood to have suggested several new concepts for discussion, including a World Club Championship and a series of four-team T20 competitions for international sides to take place during additional windows.
The triangular format has declined in popularity in recent years, although England will travel to Pakistan for a series that also features Sri Lanka later this month. The ICC is eager to explore the possibility of staging quadrangular tournaments.
England, Australia and India are adamant that there is no space in the calendar for additional events unless the ICC removes existing tournaments such as World Cups and the Champions Trophy, which has not been discussed.
Strategic review and media rights concerns
One source involved in the discussions said there is no appetite among the Big Three for additional multilateral events, although they conceded there was interest from smaller nations. Another described the concepts as an ICC landgrab.
Many of the ideas for new competitions stem from a strategic review conducted by the US consultants McKinsey & Company, whose full report will be presented to ICC members at the next quarterly meeting in Bali next month.
The strategic review was commissioned because of concern at the ICC that the value of media rights will fall significantly from next year, with its Indian rights deal viewed as unsustainable. Disney Star paid $3.1bn (£2.34bn) for the ICC’s rights in India between 2024 and 2027, but it has since merged with Viacom 18 to create JioStar, removing competition from the market.
While the ICC sells its rights on a regional basis to 11 different territories, the Indian deal contributes the vast majority of its $3.5bn (£2.64bn) global broadcast revenues and cannot be replaced from elsewhere.
Schedules agreed until 2031
While the FTP will not be finalised until next month’s meeting in Bali, England, Australia and India have already agreed schedules involving each other until 2031. The Ashes will take place in England next summer in the first series of the next World Test Championship, followed by a tour of Australia in 2029-30.
England have also agreed to travel to India for a five-Test series in early 2028 before hosting them in 2029.
The FTP operates on a slightly different cycle to the ICC’s TV rights sales, with its next auction covering the period from 2028 to 2032, which will feature two T20 World Cups, the 2029 Champions Trophy and the 2031 50-over World Cup. The ICC declined to comment.
