ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta on ODI Cricket Future and Bilateral Series

The future of ODI cricket is facing an important turning point after ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta called for an end to “randomly scheduled” bilateral series and argued that international cricket needs stronger context, culture, competition and competitiveness.

Gupta’s comments come at a crucial moment for 50-over cricket. The format is competing with the rapid growth of T20 leagues, while Test cricket has gained additional context through the World Test Championship. This has created a major question for cricket administrators: how can ODI cricket remain meaningful when the international calendar is already crowded?

Speaking to PTI, Gupta said the ODI format can continue to “survive” and “thrive”, but its role needs to be clearly defined. He particularly highlighted the connection between ODI cricket and the men’s and women’s World Cups.

The debate, therefore, is not simply about whether ODI cricket will disappear. The bigger question is whether fewer but more meaningful 50-over matches can give the format a stronger identity in the modern cricket calendar.

Why the ICC wants randomly scheduled bilateral series to end

Gupta’s comments point towards a structural problem in international cricket. Bilateral series have traditionally formed a large part of the calendar, but not every series carries the same competitive importance.

Some matches have clear consequences, such as World Cup qualification or tournament preparation. Others can feel disconnected from a larger storyline, particularly when teams are constantly moving between Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

Gupta believes this model is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain because international cricket requires significant financial and non-financial investment from boards.

“The era of randomly scheduled bilateral series has to come to an end,” Gupta said.

His argument revolves around four important principles: context, culture, competition and competitiveness.

Context gives a match a reason to matter. Competition creates meaningful stakes. Culture connects teams with their supporters, while competitiveness ensures that the contest itself remains attractive.

Without these elements, even an international match involving two well-known teams can struggle to generate the same interest as a major tournament fixture.

ODI cricket is not necessarily heading for extinction

The future of ODI cricket is often discussed as though there are only two possibilities: the format either survives exactly as it is or disappears completely.

Gupta’s comments suggest a third possibility.

ODIs could remain an important part of international cricket while becoming more selective and strategically important. Instead of filling the calendar with large numbers of bilateral 50-over matches, cricket administrators could focus on fixtures that directly contribute to World Cup preparation, qualification, rankings or meaningful competitions.

This would give the format a clearer purpose.

It could also address one of the biggest problems facing modern ODI cricket: the difficulty of competing for attention when fans have access to an enormous amount of cricket throughout the year.

The World Cup could become the main identity of ODI cricket

Gupta said there is a place for ODI cricket in the international “product portfolio”, with the format closely connected to the men’s and women’s World Cups.

That could be the most important clue about the future direction of 50-over cricket.

The World Cup gives ODIs something that many bilateral matches lack: a clear global narrative.

Teams prepare for years, qualification carries consequences, and every match can influence a tournament campaign. The stakes are naturally higher because the ultimate prize is a world title.

If the ICC wants to strengthen ODI cricket, making the World Cup the central pillar of the format could be more effective than simply increasing the number of bilateral matches.

The future could therefore involve a smaller number of carefully selected ODI series, with those matches designed to build towards major tournaments.

The 2027 ODI World Cup will be a major test

The next men’s ODI World Cup will be played in October and November 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The tournament will arrive at a particularly important moment because it will also mark the beginning of the next Future Tours Programme cycle covering 2027 to 2031.

The FTP plays a major role in determining how international bilateral cricket is organised. As a result, the way ODI cricket is structured around the 2027 World Cup could influence the format for several years.

The ICC has already announced changes to the 2027 tournament structure, including a Super Series stage before the group phase and a Super 7 stage before the semi-finals.

Those changes demonstrate that the governing body is willing to experiment with the ODI World Cup rather than simply preserve its existing structure.

Why the 2027 World Cup format has already attracted criticism

While the ICC is attempting to create a more competitive tournament structure, the changes have also generated concerns among Associate nations.

Cricket Scotland and the Netherlands Cricket Board have criticised aspects of the new World Cup format, particularly the pathway involving the lower-ranked qualifying teams.

The proposed Super Series means the 12th, 13th and 14th qualifying teams will compete in a tri-series, with only one team progressing to the main round.

This highlights one of the central challenges facing the ICC: making major tournaments more competitive without reducing opportunities for developing cricket nations.

For ODI cricket to genuinely grow globally, its future cannot be based solely on the strongest teams playing each other more frequently.

The format also needs meaningful pathways for Associate nations and emerging teams.

Jonty Rhodes believes 50-over cricket could be under pressure

Former South Africa captain Jonty Rhodes has also raised concerns about the future of ODI cricket.

Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Rhodes suggested that 50-over cricket could face increasing pressure as the sport continues to evolve.

“50-overs cricket might be the one format that might be in trouble in the years ahead,” Rhodes said.

However, Rhodes did not suggest that ODI cricket will simply disappear.

He pointed to the strength of the format’s fan base and the emotional connection supporters have with their national teams.

That is an important distinction. T20 cricket may be expanding rapidly, but ODI cricket still occupies a unique position between the intensity of T20 and the depth of Test cricket.

Why T20 cricket has not destroyed Test cricket

Rhodes also made an interesting comparison with Test cricket.

When T20 cricket emerged, there were concerns that its faster pace and entertainment-focused structure would seriously damage the traditional five-day format. Instead, Test cricket has retained a powerful position, particularly through events such as the World Test Championship.

The lesson could be important for ODI cricket.

A format does not necessarily have to defeat another format to survive. Each version can have a distinct purpose.

Tests can represent the ultimate examination of technique and endurance. T20 cricket can deliver speed, entertainment and franchise-based competition. ODI cricket can occupy the middle ground while providing the structure and tactical depth of a 50-over contest.

The problem is not necessarily that ODIs are too long or too short. It may be that too many matches lack a clear reason for existing.

ODIs need a stronger identity, not simply fewer matches

The most important question for cricket administrators is what ODI cricket should represent in the next decade.

If the format is reduced simply because T20 cricket is more commercially attractive, it could gradually lose relevance.

But if the ICC deliberately builds a strong identity around international tournaments, World Cup qualification and high-quality bilateral preparation, ODIs could become more valuable precisely because they are less frequent.

This is where Gupta’s four principles become particularly relevant.

• Context: Matches should have a clear purpose or consequence.
• Culture: The format should remain connected to national teams and supporters.
• Competition: Fixtures should provide meaningful sporting stakes.
• Competitiveness: Teams should have a genuine chance to influence the outcome.

These principles could help turn ODI cricket from a frequently scheduled format into a strategically important one.

What the next FTP cycle could change

The 2027-2031 Future Tours Programme could become one of the biggest tests of the ICC’s approach.

The current men’s FTP runs until April 2027, meaning the next cycle will determine much of the international calendar following the 2027 World Cup.

This creates an opportunity to rethink how bilateral ODIs are distributed.

Rather than automatically scheduling three-match ODI series whenever two teams meet, boards could potentially focus on fewer series with greater competitive relevance.

That approach could also help players manage workloads across three formats.

Modern international cricketers are increasingly required to move between Test cricket, ODIs and T20 cricket while also dealing with franchise commitments. A less cluttered ODI calendar could reduce unnecessary workload while making major 50-over fixtures more meaningful.

The commercial challenge behind ODI cricket

There is also a major financial dimension to this debate.

International cricket depends on broadcasters, sponsors, ticket sales and audience engagement. Every bilateral series requires substantial resources from boards, including travel, logistics, staffing, venues and player preparation.

If a series consistently struggles to attract viewers, its long-term commercial value becomes harder to justify.

That does not mean every match should be judged purely by television ratings. International sport also has cultural and developmental responsibilities.

However, Gupta’s argument recognises that the international calendar cannot expand indefinitely without consequences.

What this could mean for Associate nations

One of the biggest risks in restructuring ODI cricket is that fewer bilateral matches could reduce opportunities for Associate nations.

Countries outside the traditional group of major cricketing nations often rely on international fixtures to develop players, improve infrastructure and build a stronger cricketing culture.

If ODI cricket becomes concentrated only among the biggest teams, the global game could become less diverse.

Therefore, any new model must balance commercial reality with development. A stronger ODI structure should create meaningful pathways rather than simply reduce the number of teams involved.

A possible future for ODI cricket

The most realistic future may not be the disappearance of ODIs or a return to the huge bilateral schedules of the past.

Instead, ODI cricket could become a tournament-driven format.

World Cups could serve as the central destination, while bilateral matches would increasingly function as preparation, qualification or competitive events linked to that larger cycle.

This could make individual matches more valuable to fans because they would understand why the game matters.

In that model, an ODI between two major teams would not simply be another fixture. It could influence qualification, preparation, rankings or a broader championship narrative.

ODI cricket has one advantage T20 cannot easily replace

The 50-over format still offers a unique balance.

Unlike T20 cricket, there is enough time for a match to evolve through multiple tactical phases. Teams can recover from poor starts, rebuild an innings, change bowling plans and create long-term pressure.

Unlike Test cricket, an ODI still provides a defined one-day contest with a clear beginning, middle and end.

That middle ground is arguably ODI cricket’s greatest strength.

The challenge is convincing modern audiences that this unique structure is worth investing several hours in when so much other cricket is available.

Conclusion: ODI cricket needs meaning, not simply more matches

The comments from Sanjog Gupta and Jonty Rhodes highlight the same fundamental issue from different perspectives: ODI cricket cannot rely on tradition alone to guarantee its future.

The format remains deeply connected to the World Cup and has a passionate global following, but its bilateral calendar needs greater purpose.

Gupta’s call to end “randomly scheduled” bilateral series suggests the ICC wants international cricket to become more deliberate, competitive and meaningful. Rhodes’ warning that 50-over cricket could face trouble reinforces the urgency of that discussion.

The 2027 ODI World Cup and the following 2027-2031 FTP cycle could therefore become defining moments for the format.

The likely future is not an outright battle between ODI, Test and T20 cricket. Instead, each format may need a clearly defined role. For ODIs, that role could increasingly revolve around World Cups, meaningful international competition and fewer but more valuable bilateral matches.

If cricket can give the 50-over format a stronger purpose, ODI cricket may not merely survive the T20 era. It could become more meaningful because every match matters more.