Now Reading: ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta: End random bilateral series, ODIs tied to World Cup
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ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta: End random bilateral series, ODIs tied to World Cup
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has declared that the era of 'randomly' scheduling bilateral series is over. Speaking about the future of international cricket, he said the ODI format's survival is 'inextricably' linked…
The Story in Brief
ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta has declared that the era of 'randomly' scheduling bilateral series is over. Speaking about the future of international cricket, he said the ODI format's survival is 'inextricably' linked to the World Cup. Gupta argued that bilateral cricket needs more context to remain relevant in a crowded calendar, though he did not specify what changes are coming. The comments come as cricket boards grapple with the rise of T20 leagues and declining interest in some bilateral contests.
The Indian Opinion
The usual panic over the death of bilateral cricket misses the point. Gupta's comment is not a death knell but a call for context. Every series cannot be a blockbuster, but scrapping them entirely ignores their role in developing talent and filling non-WC years. The real test is whether the ICC will enforce a mandatory calendar with clear stakes, or leave it to boards to cherry-pick lucrative matches. What concrete 'context' will Gupta propose for a series like India vs West Indies?
Sources (2): sports.ndtv.com, ndtvprofit.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
