3 min learnUp to date: Mar 10, 2026 12:13 AM IST
Following the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2026, former England skipper Michael Atherton opened up on his conflicting views in regards to the frequency of ICC occasions, questioning whether or not the world actually wants a World Cup virtually yearly.
Atherton acknowledged the sturdy case for these tournaments, significantly for affiliate nations, for whom these occasions function the first platform to showcase their expertise and progress on the cricketing circuit.
“It’s why I’m a bit conflicted in regards to the variety of World Cups that we’ve got. In a means, you suppose there’s going to be the legislation of diminishing returns. You probably have a World Cup just about yearly, effectively, there’s primarily three World Cups each 4 years with the biennial T20 World Cup after which the quadrennial 50-over World Cup… that makes three out of each 4 years.”
“So that you suppose steadily, , that there’ll be a legislation of diminishing returns. However equally, , folks will say, who’re supporters of the affiliate nations, that they need a T20 World Cup each two years as a result of that’s the time that they must showcase what they’re about and, , the time to get on the massive stage,” he mentioned after India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs within the ultimate to win the ICC Males’s T20 World Cup 2026.
The 2024 and 2026 editions of the T20 World Cup featured 20 groups, which means a number of smaller nations obtained a chance to compete on the highest degree.
Persevering with on the necessity for these ICC occasions, Atherton mentioned: “So, considerably conflicted about that, however clearly a world sport is an effective factor in idea and follow. T20 is clearly going to drive that. It’s lengthy been, , we give the ICC a little bit of stick infrequently. It’s lengthy been their need to globalise the sport by means of T20,” he mentioned on Sky Sports activities.
“It’s the plain format as a result of it narrows the hole and makes it extra possible that video games shall be aggressive, and that’s working to a point. When it comes to giving groups extra alternative, it’s troublesome with the calendar generally. However if you suppose what number of occasions England have performed Scotland, for instance, which I feel is six occasions in our historical past, once they’re our next-door neighbors, there have to be extra alternative to offer a staff like Scotland extra possibilities when groups come and tour England, and certainly England themselves,” he added.