In the future, if the global calendar is to be reviewed, then there will be more changes in the agendas of international cricket, with more multilateral series potentially getting added into the mix.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is fiddling with a number of ideas to restructure the international format cricket schedule, from playing more multilaterals to considering elements of continental cricket championships. The talks come as the international rivalry is growing and also to make the international schedule more sustainable.
The changes would have the effect of decreasing the amount of bilateral series and increasing the number of multi-national opportunities for teams to compete. Competitions of this nature might offer additional context to international matches, and more time management for boards’ hectic calendars.
The ICC’s review takes place as workload management issues a growing concern for players and cricket boards. Recently the BCCI discussed a more structured Future Tours Programme with appropriate breaks between series and more acclimatisation and warm-up games, for example.
Multilateral series would also provide more opportunities for the associate and underdeveloped countries to play cricket against the established grand masters. A wider world-spanning sports programme may then be able to help widen the sport’s appeal as well as offer lucrative games.
The main difficulty, however, is agreement among the ICC’s Full Members and, of course, thought must go into the existing bilateral commitments. The ICC’s agenda about the calendar review could be crucial in shaping the future of international cricket structure, considering the already under pressure from the franchise leagues and the crowded schedule in the sport.
For the fans, in the future, the game of international cricket may see fewer bilateral games and more nation based series, if the plans come to fruition, which could be a big turnaround.