Karachi: The World Cricketers Association has called for protected international windows, more equitable revenue distribution and stronger playing protection measures to prevent collapse of its traditional formats.
WCA’s “protective history, embrace of change” report suggests fundamental structural changes to tackle what it identifies as existential threats to international cricket.
The recommendations come in the midst of growing concerns that uncontrolled expansion of domestic T20 leagues and financial imbalances makes bilateral cricket meaningless.
The proposal for the midpoint requires four compulsory 21-day windows annually, where all top players must be available for international duty.
This “core international cricket” frame would ensure that each nation plays a minimum number of meaningful battles across formats while retaining room for franchise tournaments.
The system will work with a new divisional structure with promotion and relegation to maintain competitive balance.
Financial reforms would dramatically redistribute the wealth of the sport and limit every single country’s share of International Cricket Council (ICC) revenue to 10% – a direct challenge for India’s current part of 38.5%.
A proposed Global Growth Fund financed by taxes on domestic leagues and collected media rights would channel estimated $ 130 million annually to develop cricketing nations.
For players, the plan would abolish restrictive contract clauses and establish minimum professional standards.
The highly criticized no objection (NOC) system, which allows boards to block players from league appearances, would be scrapped in favor of guaranteed liberation periods associated with the international windows.
The recommendations respond to alarming trends identified in the report: 72% of elite players are now facing regular club-to-country conflicts, while only three nations control 83% of global cricket revenue.
Nearly a third of professionals have experienced unpaid wages in officially sanctioned events, which postpone systemic weaknesses in the player protection.
“The choice is simple – reform or risk losing international cricket as we know it,” said WCA chairman Heath Mills. “Our proposal protects the inheritance of the sport while embracing its future.”
The report comes as private investments in domestic leagues reach unprecedented level, with franchise tournaments now operating year -round.
This expansion has created the planning of chaos, with the recent examples, including South Africa field, weakened test teams to prioritize its SA20 competition.
Financial differences have reached the level of crisis according to the conclusions. While India’s Cricket Board earns nearly $ 400 million annually from Bilateral Cricket, the total income of the nations ranked 4-10-plots less than 6% of global revenue.
WCA warns that this imbalance creates a “vicious cycle” where smaller nations cannot compete, reducing the overall quality of international cricket.
The proposed solutions aim to create what players describe as a “sustainable ecosystem” where the international and franchise crick can exist together.
By guaranteeing high -quality international matches with full strength teams, the reforms seek to restore context and prestige to bilateral series, while providing economic opportunities by domestic leagues.
The implementation would begin as early as 2026, with the full planning system proposed to take effect in 2028 for men’s cricket and 2029 for women’s competitions.
The timeline reflects the urgent speed expressed by players who warn the traditional formats of the sport can become commercially inevitable without immediate action.
