In the past, patience was a common necessity for cricket fans when it came to ICC tournaments. Unlike now, multiple ICC tournaments didn’t take place in the same year before. The cricket calendar has changed, and the Women’s World Cup was held recently across September and November 2025. In 2026, the Men’s T20 World Cup will take place, starting in February. Meanwhile, the Women’s T20 World Cup will take place six months later.
Weighing in on the current cricket calendar, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa pointed out that ICC tournaments are losing their ‘novelty’ as they are held every year nowadays.
Speaking to PTI, he said, “I think the game needs to evolve from the administrative perspective. How much value do fans and audiences hold for an ICC tournament every year? The novelty of it is wearing off, to be very honest and with all due respect.”
Uthappa was direct in his opinion and had a message for the ‘administrators’. “I think the novelty of the ICC Championships must be there. I think it’s an integral part, not just for the players but also for the fans, also for the viewers. It has to mean something. There has to be a little bit of a gap. We can’t have or shouldn’t have an ICC championship every year. That is the hard truth that I think the administrators have to look at and face and look at evolving the game in a way where it’s actually moving towards,” he added.
The upcoming Men’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to begin on February 7, and Pakistan will face the Netherlands in its opening match. India kicks off their campaign on February 7, too, but later in the evening, against the USA.
