International cricket is approaching a critical scheduling decision as the International Cricket Council (ICC) considers changes to the 2027–31 Future Tours Programme (FTP), including the balance between T20 internationals and bilateral ODIs. Against that backdrop, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Chief Executive Officer Geoff Allott is urging administrators to rethink how the sport uses its increasingly crowded calendar.
For Allott, the challenge is not simply finding enough dates for international series, ICC tournaments and expanding franchise leagues. It is ensuring that the cricket played within those dates delivers sufficient competitive and commercial value, while giving national boards and players greater certainty over their commitments.
Allott wants quality to drive cricket’s scheduling decisions
The expansion of franchise T20 competitions has increased competition for calendar space, adding to the difficulties national boards face when planning international tours and negotiating broadcasting arrangements.
Speaking to Sport Nation Mornings, Allott argued that the sport’s response should be guided by the value of its competitions rather than the volume of fixtures. “Having more valued cricket absolutely is the right answer,” he said.
His position comes as the ICC considers how to accommodate competing demands across cricket’s three international formats. The decisions taken for the next FTP will influence not only when teams play but also how boards plan their commercial activities over the following four years.
Allott reinforced his argument, adding: “Having more cricket is not necessarily the right answer.”
That distinction is particularly relevant to bilateral cricket, where the commercial appeal of individual series can vary and the continued expansion of franchise leagues has intensified competition for audiences and players.
FTP discussions highlight the trade-offs facing cricket
The scheduling pressures identified by Allott are already reflected in the ICC’s preparations for the next international cycle.
As previously reported by cricexec, discussions surrounding the 2027–31 FTP have included increasing the number of T20 internationals while reducing bilateral ODIs. The potential shift reflects the demands of a T20 World Cup held every two years and the opportunities the shorter format provides for Associate nations.
The proposals do not envisage eliminating ODI cricket. Instead, administrators have considered ways to give the format greater significance outside World Cups, including more tri-series and quadrangular competitions.
Those choices demonstrate the central difficulty behind Allott’s argument: allocating more dates to one format inevitably creates pressure elsewhere in an international calendar that must also accommodate domestic franchise competitions.
Representatives from Full Members and leading Associate nations discussed the next FTP at an ICC cricket operations workshop in Dubai on September 22–23. The programme is expected to be presented at the ICC’s quarterly meeting in Bali in November, with the current cycle running until April 2027.
Protected windows could bring greater certainty
Allott believes clearer separation between international and franchise competitions could help address the scheduling conflicts that have become more prominent as professional T20 leagues expand.
The proposal would involve establishing designated windows for different parts of the cricket calendar, making it easier for boards and competitions to plan around one another.
Allott expressed support for that approach, noting: “I think everyone would like to see that, to be fair.”
However, the next FTP must accommodate commitments that extend well beyond the existing bilateral programme. Cricket’s return to the Olympic Games at Los Angeles 2028 introduces another scheduling requirement, with the men’s T20 competition expected to take place in July.
The Olympic tournament is expected to overlap with England’s home Test series against West Indies, illustrating the difficulties involved in accommodating major events within established international schedules.
Allott acknowledged the challenge confronting the governing body, adding: “And I think the ICC are working really hard to try and achieve that, and it’s not easy.”
For NZC and other national boards, greater scheduling certainty would also support longer-term planning around international fixtures, media agreements and the availability of players.
ICC leadership shares concerns over cricket’s commercial value
Allott’s emphasis on making international matches more valuable is closely aligned with concerns previously raised by ICC leadership about the structure of bilateral cricket.
As reported previously by cricexec, ICC Chief Executive Officer Sanjog Gupta has argued that international series require stronger competitive context and clearer significance if they are to remain sustainable. His position challenges the practice of arranging bilateral fixtures without a broader competitive purpose.
Gupta has also maintained that ODI cricket can remain an important part of the international game, particularly through its connection to the World Cup. That approach is relevant to the current FTP discussions, where the question is how to preserve the format’s appeal while accommodating greater demand for T20 cricket.
The ICC has considered additional possibilities for the international calendar, including continental championships, multilateral series and a potential World Club Championship involving T20 franchises.
New Zealand’s commercial future and player welfare
For New Zealand Cricket, the debate carries consequences beyond the structure of the FTP.
Allott has identified the national team’s on-field competitiveness as an important factor in maintaining the appeal of New Zealand cricket to broadcasters and commercial partners. While NZC cannot determine the global schedule independently, it can influence the quality of its own performances.
The NZC chief also emphasised the importance of predictable commitments for players, stating: “That’s what we can control and so we’re really keen to see also for player welfare and well-being and those sorts of things as well, it’s really important that there is some certainty around the calendar.”
The increasing demands of international and franchise cricket make that certainty particularly relevant as boards attempt to balance their commercial objectives with the welfare of players.
Allott has described cricket as experiencing a rapid expansion of professionalism, a development that is placing greater demands on the structures governing international competition.
He called for administrators to reconsider how the sport should respond, saying: “So we’ve really got to challenge ourselves and say, look, our game is evolving, our game is changing. What is the best way forward?”
Next FTP will test cricket’s scheduling priorities
The 2027–31 FTP will shape international cricket through a period that includes the Los Angeles Olympics, multiple ICC tournaments and continued competition from franchise leagues.
The ICC’s immediate task is to determine how international fixtures can be organised around those commitments while addressing the commercial relevance of bilateral cricket and the demands placed on players.
For NZC, the outcome will influence its future international programme and the commercial planning that depends on it. The forthcoming ICC discussions will therefore provide an important indication of how cricket intends to balance scheduling certainty, competitive value and the continued growth of franchise competitions.
