The International Cricket Council’s bid to launch a World Club Championship has run into a major roadblock. The proposed global competition, designed to bring together champion franchise teams from leading leagues, will not be introduced until at least 2031 after resistance from England, Australia and India.
Big Three stall ICC’s global club plan
According to reports, the ICC explored the idea through informal discussions over several months, but a cricket operations workshop in Dubai last week ended without any new tournament being approved. The move effectively freezes the idea for the next Future Tours Programme cycle, which runs from 2027 to 2031.
The proposed World Club Championship was seen as a modern revival of the Champions League T20 model. It would have potentially featured title-winning sides from competitions such as the IPL, PSL, BBL, SA20 and The Hundred, creating a rare meeting point for the biggest franchise teams in the game.
But the schedule realities of international cricket appear to have won out. England, Australia and India, who control much of the calendar through their boards, have reportedly made it clear that there is no room for extra events in an already crowded season.
Why the idea lost momentum
The central issue is simple: the calendar is packed. Any new multilateral tournament would need a dedicated window, and that window does not currently exist without removing an existing competition or series.
That is where the plan has found resistance. The ICC has been looking for ways to expand the sport globally and create new revenue streams, but the major boards are prioritizing stability and existing commitments. In practical terms, that means no new global club event, and no additional multilateral competition, for now.
One report also notes that the next FTP cycle will largely mirror the current one, limiting the possibility of dramatic changes before 2031. For smaller full member and associate nations, that delay may be disappointing, especially as more competitive formats could have created fresh opportunities and visibility.
Revenue power and board influence
The debate also highlights the broader power balance in world cricket. India’s board, the BCCI, remains the game’s financial engine, with reports suggesting it generates around 70% of global cricket revenue. That gives the so-called Big Three enormous influence whenever the ICC tries to reshape the calendar.
“The challenge for the ICC is not the idea itself,” one administrator familiar with the discussions said in effect, “it is finding a slot that the biggest boards are willing to protect.” That tension has now pushed the club championship concept into the background.
Tri-series returns, but only in limited form
While the World Club Championship has stalled, there is still some movement around alternative formats. Tri-series cricket, once a staple of the 1990s and early 2000s, has started to reappear, with England set to travel to Pakistan for a series that also includes Sri Lanka later this month.
That development suggests the ICC remains open to broader, more flexible tournament structures. Quadrangular series have also been discussed for the future, but again, the same obstacle remains: fitting new events into a tightly packed international calendar.
| Key point | Status |
|---|---|
| World Club Championship | Delayed until at least 2031 |
| New multilateral events | Not approved |
| FTP cycle | 2027 to 2031 fixed |
| Big Three position | No space for more tournaments |
What happens next?
For now, the ICC’s global club vision is shelved rather than scrapped. The governing body may revisit it after the 2031 calendar year, but any breakthrough will depend on one thing above all else: a calendar gap that the game’s biggest power brokers are willing to open.
Smaller cricket nations may continue to push for more inclusive and varied competitions, but the immediate future appears settled. The next FTP cycle is expected to proceed without the World Club Championship, leaving the concept as one of cricket’s most talked-about unfinished ideas.
