ICC Set to Approve Six-Event Global Calendar for 2032-35

Bali: The ICC’s member boards, meeting in Bali, are expected to approve the global events calendar for the 2032-35 period, a schedule that maintains the current rhythm of one global tournament per year while introducing a slimmed-down Champions Trophy.

The cycle that ends with the 2031 ODI World Cup in India and Bangladesh will give way to six global events across four years. As in the present cycle, the ICC plans to stage an event annually, beginning with the T20 World Cup in 2032. The window earmarked for that tournament is October and November, though no venue has been specified.

The year 2033 will carry two global events: the World Test Championship final in June and the Champions Trophy in October. A further T20 World Cup followed in 2034, allotted a July window, before the WTC final and the ODI World Cup in 2035.

Windows Without Venues

The absence of designated windows for the 2035 WTC final and ODI World Cup has invited scrutiny. June has been earmarked for the 2033 WTC final without a venue being named, a period when England is in the middle of its cricket season. The July window for the 2034 T20 World Cup carries similar implications, with the UK a potential choice. The ICC has remained silent on both.

Sources indicate that no venues have been decided for any of the events in the new cycle. The format of the 2033 Champions Trophy has also not been confirmed, beyond the plan for an eight-team competition.

England hold the hosting rights for the WTC finals in 2027, 2029 and 2031.

Wider Agenda in Bali

The Bali meeting will also approve the WTC matchups for the 2027-29 and 2029-31 cycles. The ICC Board will additionally review the recommendations of the Franchise League Review Group, headed by Tamim Iqbal of the Bangladesh Cricket Board, with BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia among its members.

As the ICC stated: “The Franchise League Review Group has set out to consider ways to enhance the current ICC sanctioning framework of regulations that further protect and strengthen the ecosystem to address new challenges arising from the increasing number of franchise leagues.”

The meeting is also expected to approve the revenue distribution for the current cycle, with approximately USD 650 million available for disbursement among members. The amount is expected to be distributed in line with the existing revenue-sharing formula.

                                               

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