T20 World Cup gains ground as key ICC event over ODI WC; survey reveals 35% players prefer shorter format
By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Jun 29, 2024, 10:43 AM ISTBack in 2019, a striking 85 percent of players considered the 50-over World Cup as the most important ICC event, leaving only 15 percent favouring the T20 format.
In a significant shift from the traditional dominance of the ODI World Cup, the T20 World Cup is emerging as a key event for players worldwide, according to a recent survey by the World Cricketers Association (WCA), formerly known as FICA.
Back in 2019, a striking 85 percent of players considered the 50-over World Cup as the most important ICC event, leaving only 15 percent favouring the T20 format. Fast forward to 2024, and the landscape has changed dramatically: 50 percent of players now view the ODI World Cup as paramount, while 35 percent prefer the T20 World Cup.
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This transformation is particularly pronounced among younger players. The survey reveals that 41 percent of cricketers under 26 favour the T20 World Cup, closing in on the 49 percent who still hold the 50-over World Cup in higher regard.
The current edition of the T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and West Indies, is set to culminate in an exciting final between India and South Africa in Barbados this Saturday.
The survey also highlights a broader shift in the perceived importance of cricket formats. While 82 percent of players in 2019 considered Test cricket as the most important format, that figure has plummeted to 48 percent in 2024. Meanwhile, 30 percent now view T20 cricket as the most crucial format.
It is noteworthy that players from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who are not unionized and thus not represented by the WCA, were not included in the survey. The responses were collected from around 330 professional players from 13 different countries, primarily from major cricketing nations like Australia, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Bangladesh, and West Indies. There has also been a higher proportion of female respondents in 2024.
The ongoing T20 World Cup has already witnessed record-breaking viewership. The much-anticipated match between India and Pakistan alone amassed an astounding 256 million viewing hours in India.
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