The World Cricket Committee (WCC) of the esteemed Marylebone Cricket Club has suggested that "men's ODIs be significantly reduced following the completion of the 2027 World Cup." Bilateral One Day Internationals (ODIs), with the exception of those scheduled within one year of each World Cup, should be eliminated, according to the committee's proposal.
Prior to the second Ashes Test, the MCC's World Cricket Council (WCC), led by former England captain and current president Mike Gatting, met at Lord's to assess the state of international cricket. Members included former India captain Sourav Ganguly, Jhulan Goswami, Heather Knight, Ramiz Raja, Justin Langer, Graeme Smith, Kumar Sangakkara, and Eoin Morgan.
According to MCC's proposal, reducing the number of ODI games will improve their quality. To do this, bilateral ODIs would be eliminated, with the exception of those that would take place within a year of each World Cup. Additionally, this action would fill a gap in the international cricket calendar and meet a demand.
MCC suggests more funds for the growth of women's game and Test cricket:
In order to protect Test cricket and foster the development of women's cricket, the MCC panel has also advocated for the deployment of strategic funds. The committee has highlighted the growing gap between countries, pointing out that the existing system greatly favours a small number of dominant teams.
'The committee voiced particular concern for the survival of Test cricket in nations outside of India, Australia and England, with the associated impact brought about by a narrowing competition pool', an MCC release said.
The cricket body promised to undertake a Test match financial audit to get a clearer picture of the affordability factor raised by a handful of nations. The statement said:
"The committee continues to hear of the growing unaffordability to host men's Test match cricket in many nations and concluded that the game currently lacks quantifiable data on the costs of hosting a Test match across its member nations. To address this lack of insight, it proposed a recommendation for the ICC to undertake a Test match financial audit to provide a clearer picture. This audit of operational costs versus commercial return would help the ICC identify nations in need of support in order to sustain a Test match programme. This need could be subsequently addressed via a separate Test fund, established to protect the sanctity of Test match cricket."
The reduction of popularity of ODI cricket has been coming for some time now, with players like Usman Khawaja and Moeen Ali predicting dark days for the same.
