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'Won't be able to sustain cricket': ICC CEO calls for end to 'randomly scheduled' bilaterals to save ODI format originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called for an end to randomly scheduled bilateral series.
- Gupta emphasized that ODIs must stay linked to the World Cups to thrive.
- He urged Test cricket to evolve like major sports events to retain relevance.
MORE:Gautam Gambhir's fate as India Test head coach revealed based on each IND vs SL Test series result
ICC CEO calls for end to 'randomly scheduled' bilaterals to save ODI format
It is no surprise that ODI cricket has been dwindling since the past few years. With T20 cricket dominating the international scene and the World Test Championships making sure that full members keep their game up to the mark in the longest format, it is 50-over cricket that has suffered irrelevancy outside of the World Cup.
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta believes he knows how cricket boards can counter that. In a recent CricInfo report, he has stated that the era of "randomly" scheduled bilateral series must come to an end, warning that member boards cannot sustain international cricket without genuine context and competition.
As international cricket faces unprecedented scheduling congestion due to the proliferation of franchise T20 leagues and the success of the World Test Championship, standalone 50-over bilateral series have increasingly come under scrutiny.
However, Gupta reassured stakeholders that the ODI format retains a critical role in the global ecosystem, given its foundational link to ICC flagship World Cups.
MORE: Gautam Gambhir's fate as India Test head coach revealed based on each IND vs SL Test series result
Sanjog Gupta outlines a vision for ODI survival
Speaking to PTI, Gupta explained that international boards can no longer rely on filler bilateral tours that drain resources without delivering meaningful engagement for fans or players.
"The era of randomly scheduled bilateral series has to come to an end, because countries will not be able to sustain cricket without context, culture, competition, and competitiveness, which require significant investment of resources, both financial and non-financial," Gupta said.
Gupta insisted that while the 50-over format faces pressure, it possesses a unique value proposition that allows it to flourish if managed strategically. "It's important to stay focused on the four levers that drive attention and affiliation—context, culture, competition, and competitiveness—and ODIs can continue not just to survive but to thrive," he noted.
"There is a place for the format in the product portfolio, which is inextricably linked to men's and women's World Cups. We need to look at what we want the format to stand for and how we want it to evolve, including the expanse of participation." His thoughts are shared by former South African great Jonty Rhodes.
Rhodes acknowledged that while T20 cricket surprisingly revitalized Test match scoring rates rather than killing the red-ball game, the 50-over format faces the steepest uphill battle.
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A pivotal moment for the 50-over format heading into 2027
The debate around ODIs comes shortly after the format celebrated a major milestone, with the 5,000th official ODI played between Scotland and Canada in Dundee. However, the path forward requires delicate balancing, particularly as administrators prepare the next Future Tours Programme cycle for 2027–2031, set to be finalized during ICC meetings in Hong Kong later this year.
Focus is already shifting toward the 2027 Men's ODI World Cup, scheduled to be co-hosted by South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia in October and November 2027. The ICC's recent structural adjustments following its annual conference in Edinburgh have sparked intense debate, drawing sharp criticism from Associate nations like Scotland and the Netherlands over qualification pathways.
With member boards evaluating media rights and scheduling priorities for the post-2027 cycle, the consensus at the top is clear: bilateral ODI cricket must evolve beyond arbitrary fixtures to survive in an increasingly crowded sporting market.
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