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NDTV
20-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Champions League T20 Set To Be Relaunched; ICC Mulls Two-Tier Test Structure
A men's Champions League Twenty20 is set to be reintroduced as early as September next year, following strong support from key member nations at the International Cricket Council's (ICC) annual conference held in Singapore, as per The Sydney Morning Herald. The future of Test cricket is also up for discussion, with talks of introducing a two-division format gaining traction. The ICC has now formalised a working group to rework the global cricket calendar starting from 2027, and a decision regarding Test cricket's structure could be taken before the year ends, according to sources familiar with the closed-door discussions. There is a growing belief that the number of nations playing Test cricket might be capped. Only a handful of countries are able to generate revenue from the traditional format, and several others lack the infrastructure and systems to consistently build strong Test sides. Among those part of the ICC's calendar working group are Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg, England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) chief Richard Gould, and the ICC's newly-appointed chief executive Sanjog Gupta. The group is expected to present interim findings to the ICC board, headed by Jay Shah, before the end of this year. Gupta, who earlier served as the head of sport at Indian broadcasting giant JioStar, was closely involved in a recent report on cricket's calendar compiled by the global players' body. He has also publicly stated that market demand will ultimately determine the volume of Test and international cricket played in the years to come. "You have to make hard choices," Gupta said on the MCC's World Cricket Connects panel at Lord's in 2023, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald. "And there are very clear indicators of what fans want. There is enough data to suggest what direction the game is going in," he added. "If you continue to serve a product that no one wants, one - that product will continue to suffer; and, two - the ecosystem around the product will continue to suffer. Blackberry disappeared at some point. It was a device that all of us had, it was a device that all of us were in the bait of using, then it disappeared, and it was replaced by another product," he noted. The original T20 Champions League, which began in 2008, ran until 2014. It was eventually discontinued after ESPN Star, who had paid a hefty $1 billion for broadcasting rights decided to pull out, having initially missed out on securing the rights to the Indian Premier League (IPL). Back then, the league was partnered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Cricket Australia, and Cricket South Africa. Interestingly, the broadcast revenue from that deal also helped fund the early years of the Big Bash League, which has since become a major commercial success in Australia. Since those early days, the global T20 landscape has evolved massively. Today, many top players participate in multiple leagues throughout the year, sometimes even four or five different ones which will pose a major challenge for the Champions League's logistics and team selections. Discussions are still ongoing regarding how revenue from the new tournament will be shared. There's also a parallel push for a different T20 tournament circuit, potentially funded by Saudi Arabia. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Sydney Morning Herald
20-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
A T20 Champions League is coming, and so is crunch time for Test cricket
A men's Twenty20 Champions League will be relaunched as soon as September next year, after the tournament was backed by key member countries at the International Cricket Council's annual conference in Singapore. Test cricket's future and a possible split into two divisions may also be decided by the end of the year, after the ICC formalised a working group to reshape the game's calendar from 2027 onwards, according to two sources with knowledge of confidential discussions. There is now a distinct possibility that the number of Test playing countries may be capped, on the basis that only a few currently make money from the game's oldest format and that many nations do not have the resources to support the systems required for developing competitive Test teams. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg and Richard Gould, CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, will be among the eight members of the calendar working group, alongside the ICC's new chief executive Sanjog Gupta. It will be expected to present interim findings and recommendations to the ICC board, chaired by india's Jay Shah, before the end of this year. Loading Gupta, the former head of sport at the Indian broadcast giant JioStar, was involved in the recent report into cricket's calendar by the global players' body. But he has also expressed the view that the market will dictate how much Test and international cricket is played in the future. 'You have to make hard choices,' Gupta said on the MCC's World Cricket Connects panel at Lord's in 2023. 'And there are very clear indicators of what fans want. There is enough data to suggest what direction the game is going in. 'If you continue to serve a product that no one wants, one – that product will continue to suffer; and, two – the ecosystem around the product will continue to suffer. Blackberry disappeared at some point. It was a device that all of us had, it was a device that all of us were in the bait of using, then it disappeared, and it was replaced by another product.'
The Age
20-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
A T20 Champions League is coming, and so is crunch time for Test cricket
A men's Twenty20 Champions League will be relaunched as soon as September next year, after the tournament was backed by key member countries at the International Cricket Council's annual conference in Singapore. Test cricket's future and a possible split into two divisions may also be decided by the end of the year, after the ICC formalised a working group to reshape the game's calendar from 2027 onwards, according to two sources with knowledge of confidential discussions. There is now a distinct possibility that the number of Test playing countries may be capped, on the basis that only a few currently make money from the game's oldest format and that many nations do not have the resources to support the systems required for developing competitive Test teams. Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg and Richard Gould, CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board, will be among the eight members of the calendar working group, alongside the ICC's new chief executive Sanjog Gupta. It will be expected to present interim findings and recommendations to the ICC board, chaired by india's Jay Shah, before the end of this year. Loading Gupta, the former head of sport at the Indian broadcast giant JioStar, was involved in the recent report into cricket's calendar by the global players' body. But he has also expressed the view that the market will dictate how much Test and international cricket is played in the future. 'You have to make hard choices,' Gupta said on the MCC's World Cricket Connects panel at Lord's in 2023. 'And there are very clear indicators of what fans want. There is enough data to suggest what direction the game is going in. 'If you continue to serve a product that no one wants, one – that product will continue to suffer; and, two – the ecosystem around the product will continue to suffer. Blackberry disappeared at some point. It was a device that all of us had, it was a device that all of us were in the bait of using, then it disappeared, and it was replaced by another product.'
Sydney Morning Herald
16-07-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Top Cricket Australia execs out as Greenberg swings the axe to save cash
Fifteen staff members have been axed and the head of the national teams removed from the executive team as Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg tightens the belt in his first few months in the job. CA staff were informed of the changes on Tuesday, with two executives – head of people and culture Allison Robison and head of technology Don Elliott – to depart the organisation and Ben Oliver removed from Greenberg's executive team. Most redundant employees will leave CA by the end of the month. A CA spokesperson confirmed the changes to this masthead, which are the biggest cutbacks since a raft of staff were made redundant during COVID-19. The overhaul, which comes just months after Greenberg started in the top job, was the result of long hours that he spent in Jolimont in April, during the customary office shutdown at the end of the cricket season. He was sequestered with members of the finance team, looking for ways to take costs out of the CA balance sheet. The CA board, chaired by Mike Baird, has a strategic goal of restoring the governing body's cash reserves to the kinds of $100 million-plus levels it enjoyed before the pandemic. The 2024 annual report stated that CA had around $25 million cash and cash equivalents up its sleeve. Loading Also leaving CA is Megan Barnett-Smith, the head of social impact and sustainability. Her areas of responsibility, including the governing body's Indigenous reconciliation action plan, will be spread across the remaining executives. Longtime head of sports science and former men's team physio Alex Kountouris is another significant figure to exit. His role will be restructured. Oliver, who remains a key link man between the No.1-ranked men's and women's national teams and the top levels of the organisation, will no longer be on the executive. He will report into the executive general manager of cricket, James Allsopp, who had his role expanded last year to cover all levels of cricket, not just junior and community participation.
The Age
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Age
Top Cricket Australia execs out as Greenberg swings the axe to save cash
Fifteen staff members have been axed and the head of the national teams removed from the executive team as Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg tightens the belt in his first few months in the job. CA staff were informed of the changes on Tuesday, with two executives – head of people and culture Allison Robison and head of technology Don Elliott – to depart the organisation and Ben Oliver removed from Greenberg's executive team. Most redundant employees will leave CA by the end of the month. A CA spokesperson confirmed the changes to this masthead, which are the biggest cutbacks since a raft of staff were made redundant during COVID-19. The overhaul, which comes just months after Greenberg started in the top job, was the result of long hours that he spent in Jolimont in April, during the customary office shutdown at the end of the cricket season. He was sequestered with members of the finance team, looking for ways to take costs out of the CA balance sheet. The CA board, chaired by Mike Baird, has a strategic goal of restoring the governing body's cash reserves to the kinds of $100 million-plus levels it enjoyed before the pandemic. The 2024 annual report stated that CA had around $25 million cash and cash equivalents up its sleeve. Loading Also leaving CA is Megan Barnett-Smith, the head of social impact and sustainability. Her areas of responsibility, including the governing body's Indigenous reconciliation action plan, will be spread across the remaining executives. Longtime head of sports science and former men's team physio Alex Kountouris is another significant figure to exit. His role will be restructured. Oliver, who remains a key link man between the No.1-ranked men's and women's national teams and the top levels of the organisation, will no longer be on the executive. He will report into the executive general manager of cricket, James Allsopp, who had his role expanded last year to cover all levels of cricket, not just junior and community participation.
