ICC CEO Sanjog Gupta: 'The era of randomly scheduled bilateral series has to come to an end'

ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta told PTI on Aug. 12, 2026 that "The era of randomly scheduled bilateral series has to come to an end, because countries will not be able to sustain cricket without context, culture, competition and competitiveness, which require significant investment of resources, both financial and non-financial." He spoke about the future of Test and ODI cricket and the need to give international fixtures clearer context and purpose.

Gupta, who joined the ICC in July last year after serving as head of sports at JioStar, warned that the rapid expansion of T20 cricket and franchise leagues has placed pressure on the international calendar. He noted that bilateral scheduling remains under the control of member boards while the ICC manages multi-nation events such as the World Cups and the World Test Championship. He added that member boards also retain sponsorship and media rights for bilateral ties, a factor that shapes how those series are arranged. Gupta said international cricket must adapt its calendar to preserve relevance across formats.

On the 50-over game, Gupta argued that ODI cricket retains a role linked tightly to the men's and women's World Cups. He said: "It's important to stay focused on the four levers which drive attention and affiliation—context, culture, competition, and competitiveness—and ODIs can continue not just to survive, but thrive." He also stated: "There is a place for the format in the product portfolio, which is inextricably linked to men's and women's ICC Cricket World Cups. We need to look at what we want the format to stand for and how we want it to evolve, including the expanse of participation."

Gupta framed growth as the guiding objective for cricket's future rather than preserving the status quo. He said: "Our ambition has to be growth; our ambition should never be to maintain the status quo. Because in this world, where population is growing, attention is getting disaggregated and affiliation is hard to sustain, if you're not growing, you're dying." He emphasised that formats must be defined by clear purposes that attract fans and investment.

Addressing Test cricket, Gupta acknowledged its prestige and heritage but warned those qualities must be made relevant to contemporary audiences. He said: "There is obviously value in high-quality Test cricket. There is prestige, legacy and a sense of heritage associated with it, but if prestige, legacy and heritage are not made relevant and amplified, then the product can become burdensome. Wimbledon and The Masters are examples of prestige events looking at ways to reinvent themselves and remain relevant by using their premium status to their advantage." He added: "We have to focus on the experience of Test cricket and ensure that fans engaging with it are being served a viable and appealing product."

Gupta pointed to commercial challenges in Test cricket, noting that India, England and Australia remain the strongest markets for the format and that several other full members struggle to generate comparable revenue. He said: "Every time there is conversation around the commercials of Test cricket, the passion, pride and legacy tend to override the conversation around the economics. I don't think the answer is necessarily binary, and I don't think it's a question solely for Test cricket to answer but one which must be asked of all our products across formats and events." He described the World Test Championship Final as a recent addition that has given the format greater context.

On scheduling and marketing, Gupta called for Test matches to be positioned to create occasions of significance beyond the big three markets. He said: "We will continue to invest in growing the status, significance and spectacle associated with cricket's marquee events. Test matches in certain countries are of immense fan value, but can we focus more on providing Members with opportunities to build occasions of appointment and significance in Test cricket?" He outlined the measures needed by saying: "That has to be by virtue of the World Test Championship having more meaning and a continuing narrative, by virtue of Test cricket being scheduled optimally, by virtue of Tests receiving adequate positioning and marketing support, by virtue of the competitive standards of the two teams and playing conditions being offered, and fans being promised cricket which is going to be compelling."

Gupta said the ICC will prioritise format clarity across the international calendar and acknowledged T20 as the principal engine of global growth while stressing the importance of also developing ODI and Test engagement. "Our primary tool of global growth is T20 cricket, but that does not mean we don't focus on growing the value or engagement around ODIs or Test cricket. The World Test Championship Final is now an event of significance and one that didn't even exist seven years ago," he said. The ICC's stated approach is to give each format a clearer role in the international calendar.