Protected Windows For International Cricket Among Sustainable Changes Sought By World Cricketers' Association

Protected windows for international cricket among sustainable changes sought by World Cricketers' As (Image Source: IANS)

Global Game Leadership Committee: In its comprehensive report to fix cricket’s ever-busy landscape, the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) has called for protected windows to play international cricket, as well as for having more equitable revenue distribution and making ICC a global governing body.

Titled ‘Protecting History, Embracing Change: A Unified, Coherent, Global Future’, WCA said the report is the culmination of a six-month review of cricket’s global structure, and draws on interviews with 64 senior game stakeholders, including players, administrators, and commercial and media partners, in addition to the compilation of data from various experts.

WCA has cited the current global cricket scheduling as chaotic, inconsistent, and confusing, with the overlap of international games and domestic T20 tournaments leading to erosion of the overall quality of the product.

As a solution for it, the WCA has asked for sanctioning 21 days of playing international matches only, with no other T20 league games to be held at that time. It added that international cricket played outside of these windows would be required to go head-to-head with DT20 leagues.

For example, the WCA showed that in 2028, it will include 21-day international windows in February-March, May-June, September, and December, as well as for the T20 World Cup in October-November and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in July. It has also drawn a similar report for the women’s calendar in 2029, a year when a Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held.

In terms of economics, the WCA said global cricket’s finances are not optimised, balanced, or used effectively to achieve competitive balance and growth, resulting in the sport not reaching its global potential.

As a solution for solving this issue, it has proposed a centralised Global Growth and Development Fund – to be established, underpinned by pooled rights model applicable only for funding international matches and other global initiatives.

It also calls for ICC revenue distribution to happen within minimum and maximum parameters – like an average 20% reduction in expenses for countries 4-24 through a more centralised international cricket model. WCA further stated the players should receive a minimum percentage of revenue generated in all cricket, across international matches, T20 leagues, and ICC events.

“This process has brought to light an almost game-wide appetite for change and a need to address the significant issues with the game’s global structure. Whilst there is no silver bullet, the report defines the trends and major issues facing the sport at the global level, along with some recommended solutions, intended to be both aspirational and realistic,” said Heath Mills, WCA Chairman, in a statement.

“The players have an interest in the health of the game globally, and we look forward to discussing and debating the report over the coming months,” the report said.

As part of solutions for the global cricket leadership landscape, the WCA has called for modernising the ICC and ensuring it is empowered to lead the global game and built on shared ownership, independence, and representation reflective of the whole sport.

It also called for the establishment of a Global Game Leadership Committee, as an interim step to make recommendations to the game and the ICC. “On behalf of the subcommittee, we thank the many people who care about the future of cricket and who have contributed to the process.”

“Whilst there are a number of positive trends in cricket, there is no doubt that global cricket is at an inflection point. Many of the issues highlighted in the report are challenging, but they need to be discussed if we are to create a more sustainable future in more than just a few countries,” concluded Paul Marsh, the Sub-Committee Chair.

It also called for the establishment of a Global Game Leadership Committee, as an interim step to make recommendations to the game and the ICC. “On behalf of the subcommittee, we thank the many people who care about the future of cricket and who have contributed to the process.”

Article Source: IANS