The World Cricketers Association (WCA) has announced it will commence an independent review of the game’s global structure, with the hope that the process gives clarity into solving problems related to a hectic cricket calendar.
“It’s been great to see increased discussion on some of the significant issues with the global game structure that we have highlighted over the last decade. Players and their associations around the world are united on the need for change,” said WCA Chairman Heath Mills.
“We are fortunate that cricket is spoilt for choice and has three core formats across both the international game and domestic leagues. 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,” he added.
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“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,” he added.
The review will be spearheaded by Mills, former Australian Cricketers’ Association chairman Paul Marsh, former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir, Independent WCA Board Member Tony Irish, former ECB CEO Tom Harrison, Head of Sports, Disney Star, Sanjog Gupta and former Director of Football Regulatory, FIFA, James Kitching.
The WCA added the above-mentioned group will be working with independent consultants to be appointed and to review and produce a set of recommendations to the Board concerning the global structure of cricket across the men’s and women’s games.
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“It will focus in particular on ICC Events, bilateral international cricket and domestic leagues as the major revenue generating cricket landscapes in which the best players in the world compete, and which fund the professional game pyramids and player career pathways underneath them,” said the WCA.
WCA further said the report will be focussed on constructive solutions to known issues to optimise the game’s structure, including across global, in three aspects: scheduling (in particular as between international cricket and domestic leagues), game economics, and player employment, contracting and regulation.
“The current model is broken and unsustainable – confusing and chaotic global scheduling with no clarity on the interplay between international cricket and the domestic leagues means players are increasingly forced to choose between representing their country and optimising their careers,” the WCA said.
“Growing disparity between countries and reliance on just a few to fund the entire game leaves the vast majority of cricketing nations with limited ability to invest in the development of the game, and the constant need to make short term decisions.”
“The lack of a clear global calendar makes it impossible for the game to regulate itself transnationally in a fair and balanced way, and to ensure contract stability across the game. Change is badly needed to create ongoing clarity, and value, for players, Boards and fans alike,” concluded the WCA.
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