A likely three-way barter of International Cricket Council (ICC) events between 2024 and 2025 is on the cards. Word coming out of the ICC corridors is that in return for letting go of the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States, these co-hosts could be compensated with another event of similar stature at a later stage.
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan could turn out to be the event that goes to the West Indies and the United States as compensation for letting go of the 2024 T20 World Cup and in return, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) may get compensated monetarily for the loss.
It is understood that right now this is merely a subject of verbal discussion between the respective cricket boards, the ICC and other stakeholders. It is also learnt that the broadcasters for the next ICC media rights cycle are in agreement with the proposed idea.
As News18 CricketNext had reported last week, England, the original hosts of the 2030 T20 World Cup along with Scotland and Ireland, emerged favourites to host the 2024 T20 World Cup – if shifted out of the West Indies & USA and allotted to them – for the simple reason that the United Kingdom is most suited to pull off a cricket tournament in the month of June, the month in which the event has been slotted.
Lesser financial risk
Further now, the global cricketing body is also exploring an arrangement where West Indies & USA could host the 2025 Champions Trophy – proposed to be moved out of Pakistan – which is a smaller event, puts the broadcaster at lesser financial risk and will require lesser infrastructure to get going.
“The current infrastructure situation in the USA is not very encouraging. Even if they successfully host the upcoming Major League Cricket, hosting an event like the T20 World Cup is a different ball game altogether. Where will you host the matches when the venues aren’t ready? Also, a long tournament in the far west could be a loss-making proposition for the broadcasters in the sub-continent, where the returns are highest,” says a source tracking developments from close quarters.
The 2007 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean, for the record, had proved to be a financial disaster given prime-time watching hours and India’s early exit from the tournament had only made things worse. Almost 16 years later, with business valuations getting that much steeper, the broadcaster of an ICC event will want the tournament to cater to Indian prime time as much as possible.
“The four-year rights for the India market alone were sold at US$3b. That’s way too much money to not get your priorities right,” say those in the know.
Smaller events, better rewards
Asking the West Indies and USA to host the 2025 Champions Trophy will give the US an additional year to put the necessary infrastructure in place. Further, having fewer matches – as compared to a T20 World Cup – will make the tournament logistically a more viable option too.
A case in point here is the 2017 Champions Trophy in England which was played only between three venues – Birmingham, The Oval and Cardiff.
What’s in it for PCB?
The Big Question is – will the PCB agree?
Sources say it is in this regard that ICC chairman Greg Barclay and CEO Geoff Allardice made a trip to Pakistan last week. The trip, officially, is being referred to as part of customary visits by ICC office-bearers to its full member nations. Pakistan, for the record, hasn’t hosted a major ICC event since the 1996 World Cup.
None of the countries that are scheduled to host these events has signed the “hosting agreements” yet, a process that could be initiated in July when the ICC members meet at the annual conference in Durban. The ICC could request PCB to agree to the swap by allowing them to monetarily benefit from the arrangement.
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