The ICC wanted to add new events. But England, Australia, and India said no. So there will be no World Club Championship or extra multilateral tournaments until at least 2031. A cricket operations workshop in Dubai last week ended without proposing any new events. The next Future Tours Programme will cover 2027 to 2031. It will look much like the current cycle.
One possible change is the World Test Championship. It could grow to 12 teams from next year. Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe may join. The ICC has not finalised that plan yet.
The ICC still wants new competitions. It wants to grow the sport and its revenues. That could create tension with the top boards. India alone generates about 70 per cent of global cricket revenue. The ICC suggested ideas like a World Club Championship. It also suggested four-team T20 events in extra windows. Three-team tournaments have become less popular. England will play in Pakistan this month in a series that also includes Sri Lanka. The ICC wants to try four-team events too.
But England, Australia, and India say there is no room in the calendar. They say new events can only happen if the ICC removes existing ones like World Cups and the Champions Trophy. That idea was not discussed. One source said the top boards have no appetite for more multilateral events. Smaller nations are interested. Another source called the ideas an ICC land grab.
Many of the ideas came from a review by the US consultants McKinsey. The full report will go to ICC members at their next quarterly meeting in Bali next month. The review was ordered because the ICC fears media rights values will fall sharply from next year. Its Indian rights deal is seen as unsustainable. That is why the ICC wants to schedule more events.
Disney Star paid $3.1bn for ICC rights in India from 2024 to 2027. It later merged with Viacom 18 to create JioStar. That removed competition from the market. The ICC sells its rights in 11 regions. But the Indian deal provides most of its $3.5bn global broadcast revenue. That money cannot be replaced from elsewhere.
The FTP will not be finalised until the Bali meeting. But England, Australia, and India have already agreed on schedules with each other until 2031. The Ashes will be in England next summer. That will be the first series of the next WTC. Australia will tour in 2029-30. England will travel to India for a five-Test series in early 2028. They will host India in 2029.
The FTP cycle is slightly different from the ICC’s TV rights sales. The next auction will cover 2028 to 2032. It will include two T20 World Cups, the 2029 Champions Trophy, and the 2031 50-over World Cup. The ICC declined to comment.
What is the ICC World Club Championship?
The ICC World Club Championship is a proposed tournament for T20 franchise teams. The idea is to create a global club competition, similar to football’s Champions League. It would bring together the champion teams from the world’s top domestic T20 leagues. The goal is to crown a single global club champion.
The tournament was meant to be a showcase of inter-league clashes. Organisers wanted the best T20 teams from around the world to compete. The 2026 edition was planned to have broader representation and stronger commercial backing. It was also seen as a way to give players from smaller cricket nations more exposure to top-level competition.
The format was still being discussed. Reports suggested it would look like the old Champions League T20, which ran from 2009 to 2015. The plan was to include champion teams from leagues like the IPL, PSL, BBL, SA20, and The Hundred. There was also talk of inviting teams from Major League Cricket in the USA and the Global T20 Super League in Guyana. The ECB reportedly wanted The Hundred winner to represent England, not the Vitality Blast winner.
The idea comes from the Champions League T20. That tournament ran from 2009 to 2015 but was discontinued. It faced poor television ratings outside India, scheduling problems, and a lack of interest in neutral franchise matches. The IPL’s dominance also made other franchise contests feel less important. The proposed World Club Championship was an attempt to learn from those failures. It aimed for broader global representation, better commercial support, and a more balanced field.
FAQs
Q. Which countries rejected the ICC’s new tournament plans?
A. India, England, and Australia rejected the plans.
Q. What new ICC tournament was proposed?
A. The ICC World Club Championship was proposed.
Q. When could the World Test Championship expand to 12 teams?
A. The WTC could expand from next year.
Q. Why does the ICC want more tournaments?
A. It wants to grow the sport and increase revenue.
Q. Which teams could join the World Test Championship?
A. Afghanistan, Ireland, and Zimbabwe could join.
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