ICC Champions Trophy to change from 50-over format to being a T20 tournament? | Cricket News
Will the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy change from the 50-over format to being a T20 tournament? The Guardian newspaper has cited sources to report that broadcasters Disney Star wish to make the next Champions Trophy, for which teams like England and Sri Lanka are still battling for a spot in the ongoing ODI World Cup, into a 8-team 20-overs competition.
The Champions Trophy will be played in 2025 and 2029, with the T20 World Cup scheduled for 2024, 2026, 2028 and 2030. The 50-over ICC World Cup is set to be played in 2027 in South Africa and in 2031 in India and Bangladesh.
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Disney Star have bagged the broadcast rights for all ICC events in a four-year deal running from 2024 to 2027 for the Indian market, reportedly for USD 3 billion. Between 2024 and 2027, the ICC men’s calendar will have two T20 World Cups, two World Test Championship finals, a Champions Trophy and a 50-over World Cup. The women’s events include two T20 World Cups, a 50-over World Cup and a T20 Champions Trophy. Moving on to the U-19 events, the roster includes two men’s World Cups and a couple of women’s T20 World Cups.
If the speculation proves right and the ICC turns the Champions Trophy into a T20 tournament, it will raise several questions: How does this ongoing 50-over World Cup then decide qualification for a T20 tournament? Can ODI cricket survive, and will bilateral ODIs cease to be played after a while? The Guardian quotes a broadcaster source as saying that this move will “kill off” the one-day format.
It’s one thing for established powerhouses in world cricket to adapt to the changing environment, but what about teams like Afghanan, who have built a solid base in 50-over domestic cricket, and have sparkled in this ODI World Cup in India?Most Read
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Afghanan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was asked on Thursday, ahead of their game against South Africa in Ahmedabad, about the “weird situation”. The question was phrased thus: ‘You’ve gotten really good now in 50-over cricket. But when we look at the next cycle, the number of 50-over games are starting to reduce. So how does a team like Afghanan continue to improve?’
Shahidi put the onus on ICC to give them more ODIs, and said he is hopeful that the ODI format will survive.
“There will be 50-over cricket, I’m expecting that. I hope that ICC also makes a good call on it because 50-over cricket is also important. Right now, there are too many leagues, too much T20 cricket. I think with that, 50-over and Test cricket is more important. So, if we have those games, we will definitely improve more and more. And we are expecting our cricket board and ICC to give us more matches for our improvement. So, we are hoping that they take a lot of series with other teams. And the Champions Trophy is also ahead.”
