ICC Considers Reducing 'Length' Of ODIs, New T20 Competition To Overhaul Cricket

[rollingstoned]

ICC Considers Reducing 'Length' Of ODIs, New T20 Competition To Overhaul Cricket

ICC considers radical changes to cricket calendar: shorter ODIs, new global T20, more continental tournaments, and WTC expansion to 12 teams.

 

Virat Kohli (left) and Rohit Sharma (PTI Photo)

 

The International Cricket Council (ICC) is reportedly considering a few radical changes to overhaul the sport’s calendar in the coming years. These include reducing the length of One-Day Internationals, a new global T20 competition for franchises (like the now-defunct Champions League T20), the addition of more continental tournaments like the Asia Cup, and delimiting specific windows for the three formats.

 

According to The Guardian, these would be discussed by all 12 full members at the ICC’s annual general meeting in Edinburgh on Wednesday. It is part of the ‘strategic review’ being conducted by McKinsey, an American consulting firm hired by the ICC to look into the sport. The report said the world body is encouraging such unique ideas as it tries to secure the future of all three formats.

 

Cricket is one of the most popular sports in the world, but it is struggling to become a truly global competition. There has been significant growth in smaller nations, but their sustainability is still doubtful, even as traditional ODI and Test formats continue to reel under the pressure of the growth of T20s.

 

Most stakeholders in the sport have believed that the ODI format would be the first casualty of T20’s growth, as viewers struggle for context and attention in bilateral 50-over matches.

 

“If the game has to become global and it has to become an Olympic sport, the shorter the game, the more viable it is. And that’s how it’s going to become much bigger… T20 as a sport is here to stay. I’m not too sure about ODI cricket," Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin said recently.

 

The report added that the ICC can soon limit ODI cricket to just 18 months before the 50-over World Cup.

 

Finally, the report said that the ICC could also expand the WTC to 12 teams for the 2027 to 2029 edition, with Ireland, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan in line to be included. The report said any other changes will start bleeding into the sport only after the current cycle, until 2031.

 

 

[Manucrick]

Another T20 competition this is crazy havent they had enough with a T20 World Cup every two years those idiots are completely overdoing T20 cricket

 

So they are cutting short ODI cricket its so sad actually for a fan like me who grew up watching ODI cricket

[express bowling]

Limiting ODIs to 18 months before World Cups would be a grave mistake.

 

It is the ODI bilaterals where new players can be tried. Especially bowlers and non-hack batters. Like we saw with Gurnoor Brar.  

 

In T20s, bowlers can't bowl in spells or work out batsmen. And everything is stacked against them. So new bowlers can't be assessed properly. And with the WTC always on, new players are hardly tried in tests.

 

Similarly, proper batters can't build their innings in T20s, but they can do so in ODIs.

 

No ODIs for 30 months at a stretch means lesser high quality new players will emerge. 

 

ICC should think strongly about this aspect.

 

[express bowling]

18 minutes ago, Manucrick said:

Another T20 competition this is crazy havent they had enough with a T20 World Cup every two years those idiots are completely overdoing T20 cricket

 

They will kill the goose that is laying golden eggs for them.

 

T20 WC every 2 years and 2 month long IPL is almost as much T20s one can take, including the players.

 

We are seeing how the Indian T20I players seem disinterested in our T20I UK tour.

 

And IPL is losing intensity too with its length.

 

 

18 minutes ago, Manucrick said:

So they are cutting short ODI cricket its so sad actually for a fan like me who grew up watching ODI cricket

 

Agree strongly. 

 

I too want more ODIs.

[Manucrick]

1 hour ago, express bowling said:

Limiting ODIs to 18 months before World Cups would be a grave mistake.

 

It is the ODI bilaterals where new players can be tried. Especially bowlers and non-hack batters. Like we saw with Gurnoor Brar.  

 

In T20s, bowlers can't bowl in spells or work out batsmen. And everything is stacked against them. So new bowlers can't be assessed properly. And with the WTC always on, new players are hardly tried in tests.

 

Similarly, proper batters can't build their innings in T20s, but they can do so in ODIs.

 

No ODIs for 30 months at a stretch means lesser high quality new players will emerge. 

 

ICC should think strongly about this aspect.

 

Some stupid decisions are being made we know who is running the ICC now Pappu 20 Jay Shah so dont expect good decisions

[Norman]

You know what ... I'm actually in favour of this.

 

There is absolutely no point in having two white ball formats just for the sake of it. Just find one sweetspot that stikes the balance between ODIs and T20s (i think 30 overs per innings) and be done with it.

 

Keep 20 over cricket exclusion only to franchise leagues and the Olympics to have that novelty factor.

[express bowling]

49 minutes ago, Manucrick said:

Some stupid decisions are being made we know who is running the ICC now Pappu 20 Jay Shah so dont expect good decisions

 

 

Jay Shah has done really good work regarding Women's cricket and also Test cricket. 

 

This push for too much T20s is coming from smaller boards outside the big 3. 

[Nikhil_cric]

ODI's are the best format to develop fast bowlers and build their workloads etc. 

 

 

[Vk1]

ODI world cup is still by far the biggest marquee event in cricket. Why is icc meddling with bilaterals odis between interested boards

[vayuu1]

Why not turn odi's in 4 innings of say 20 overs with one new ball for each innings 

[bowl_out]

If anything, they should bring back tri-series and quad-series tournaments. We had CB series in Aus with India, Aus and SL/Pak/NZ. Those were so interesting when we watched them as kids. The last of those that I remember watching was when Kohli took down Malinga circa 2013.

 

Bi-laterals are boring. There should 3-4 teams participating in interim ODI and T20 tours. 

[bowl_out]

56 minutes ago, vayuu1 said:

Why not turn odi's in 4 innings of say 20 overs with one new ball for each innings 

No need to turn ODI into that. Let that be a whole new format

[Soorma Bhopali]

On 7/6/2026 at 11:55 AM, Manucrick said:

Another T20 competition this is crazy havent they had enough with a T20 World Cup every two years those idiots are completely overdoing T20 cricket

 

So they are cutting short ODI cricket its so sad actually for a fan like me who grew up watching ODI cricket

They should restore ODI's to what it was earlier ..one new ball only and initial 15 overs power play . At the most, there is a case for 4 innings of 25 overs each which will test the strsategic thinking of each team and reduce dependence on toss. . This proposal of playing odis just during 18 months prior to world cups is bonkers. If players have not been playing it for 2.5 years, how come they will magically learn to build innings in ODIs during that 1.5 years ? 

 

It may be better to reduce ODI window to around 2 months in a year where no test, T20 or official leagues are played and have regional continental trophies played during that window.

Edited July 10 by Soorma Bhopali

[BacktoCricaddict]

If there was any radical change in cricket that I want, it is that teams should decide their XI after the toss. Esp in T20s. Too often, toss has an oversized effect, and this could mitigate some of that.