The ICC is weighing up the possibility of replacing the Champions Trophy with the biennial playing of the World Twenty20.

The reasoning behind the possible scrapping is two-fold: the ICC wishes to have a single 50-over global showpiece, the World Cup and one T20 tournament, namely the World Twenty20. Moreover, the T20 format has proven more financially viable with greater viewership around the world.

Moreover, the T20 format has proven more financially viable with greater viewership around the world.

‘What we want to do is differentiate our global events from each other so that they can be standalone and create maximum interest every time the event happens,’ ICC CEO Dave Richardson told reporters via telephone on the eve of the ICC’s annual conference in London. 

‘The fact is that World T20s do attract a lot of interest, they generate significant revenue for the television companies, but most importantly from our point of view they provide us with an opportunity to give more opportunities to more teams,’ he continued.

Richardson emphasised the fluid nature of the situation and said that while a Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in 2021, this may change.

‘At this stage, the next Champions Trophy is still scheduled for India in 2021. Whether that gets changed, the consideration has been given to changing to two T20s in a four-year cycle which would mean swapping the Champions Trophy for a World T20.’

The announcement by the ICC came a shortly after they said that the World Cup would be reduced to ten teams, a move Richardson defended.

‘With a 10-team World Cup we’re hoping to increase the competitiveness of matches and the standard of the tournament as a whole,’ he said.

The meeting of ICC officials in London this week will also serve to decide on whether or not to grant Ireland and Afghanistan Test status.

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