ICC CEO says era of randomly scheduled bilateral ODIs must end

ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta said the era of randomly scheduled bilateral ODI series has to end because countries cannot sustain cricket without context and competitiveness. Gupta identified context, culture, competition and competitiveness as the four levers that drive attention and affiliation in the format.

Gupta stated that ODIs remain inextricably linked to the men's and women's World Cups and that the format has a place in cricket's product portfolio. He said greater thought is now needed around how the 50-over game is structured and presented.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will feature 14 teams in a new three-stage format beginning with a Super Series involving the three lowest-ranked teams. The winner will join 11 qualified nations in two groups of six before a Super 7 stage determines the finalists.