NEW DELHI: The World Cricketers’ Association (WCA) has established a six-member panel to assess the overcrowded international cricket schedule, which the organization believes is “broken and unsustainable.”
The WCA, previously known as FICA, aims to create a “clear and coherent structure” that allows international cricket and domestic leagues to coexist harmoniously.
The association has members from 16 different boards, excluding the BCCI and PCB as reported by PTI.
Heath Mills, the chairperson of the WCA, expressed that they had “given up hope” in the ability of cricket’s leadership to develop a cohesive structure. The report mentioned that “One of those solutions, which WCA says 84% of the players they have spoken to are in favour of, is ring-fenced windows to ensure international cricket and domestic T20 leagues can co-exist.
The current scheduling model was described as “broken and unsustainable” and “confusing and chaotic,” forcing players to choose between representing their country and optimizing their careers.
The six-member review team, led by Paul Marsh, former head of the Australian Cricketers’ Association, includes former Pakistan captain Sana Mir, former FICA head Tony Irish, ex-ECB CEO Tom Harrison, and Sanjog Gupta, head of sports at Disney Star.
The group will consult various stakeholders, including players, current and former administrators, and franchise owners, to develop a set of recommendations which will be first be presented to the WCA board and later shared with the broader cricket community, including the ICC.
There is no deadline but the target is to finalise the recommendations by the end of the year, according to the report.
“Change is badly needed to create ongoing clarity, and value, for players, Boards and fans alike,” WCA said in the statement.
“We are fortunate that cricket is spoilt for choice and has three core formats across both the international game and domestic leagues,” Mills said in the statement.
“However, to date, the game’s leadership has collectively failed to come together to establish a clear and coherent global structure in which they can co-exist. We have virtually given up hope of it doing so.
“The players deserve a say on the future of the game and want us to start putting forward some solutions to known issues. The process we have put in place, guided by independent expertise, will be focussed on making recommendations to our Board on optimising the game’s global structure, ensuring sustainable value, and providing more clarity, consistency, and less confusion for players, fans and commercial partners alike.”
