Player research reveals that the T20 World Cup has closed the gap on the ODI World Cup

The T20 World Cup is set to overtake the 50-over World Cup as the ICC’s “most important” event for players worldwide according to new survey data seen by ESPNcricinfo.

The recently renamed World Cricketers Association (WCA) called FICA, conducts a general survey that is distributed to several hundred players around the world. Over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people taking the T20 World Cup as the ICC’s most important event, especially for young players.

In 2019, 85% of respondents ranked the 50-over World Cup as the most important ICC event, compared to 15% who chose the T20 World Cup. In 2024, only 50% opted for a 50-over World Cup, compared to 35% for the T20 World Cup and 15% for the World Test Championship.

For players under the age of 26, the change is more pronounced. In 2019, 86% chose the 50-over World Cup compared to 14% who chose the T20 World Cup. In 2024, only 49% said the 50-over World Cup, while 41% chose the T20 World Cup and 10% chose the World Test Championship.

The trend is widely seen across the sport, beyond ICC events. Over the past five years, 82% of survey respondents chose Test cricket as the most important format while 11% chose T20. This year, only 48% of players chose Test cricket compared to 30% who said T20.

The WCA says the sample size for this year’s survey – which will be released in full later in the year – was around 330 professional players from 13 different countries, most of whom are currently international players. The data is skewed by the high number of female respondents in 2024 but the WCA says the trends hold true when breaking down responses from male players.

Players from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are among those not represented by the WCA as they are not affiliated. But the survey’s responses spread to players from other major cricketing nations, including Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies.

Tom Moffat, chief executive of the WCA, was in New York and Barbados during the group stage of the T20 World Cup to meet the players. He told ESPNcricinfo: “This men’s T20 World Cup has been a fantastic spectacle and our latest player survey data from around the world continues to highlight trends that players particularly like in T20 cricket.”

The WCA will invite players to planning sessions in August and September and Moffat believes they should be involved in joint discussions if the game is serious about solving its problems. “The rapid evolution of the game is exciting but it also reveals the challenges of leadership in a game that has not come together in many world affairs outside of ICC events,” he said.

“Mostly scheduling is still managed based on individual agreements and regional interests and if you look closely, you will probably find some countries already filling their calendars with bilateral cricket for the better part of the next decade.

“Given that domestic T20 teams are also filling the calendar space and becoming the preferred option for many players and those investing in the game, that doesn’t make much sense.”

Moffat believes that cricket in both countries has been greatly weakened by self-interested and organized boards and franchise leagues.

“As an industry, we can either accept that there will be two similar calendars and a different recruitment market – which means international cricket will not be the best against the best – or we can come together to try to find a way to ensure that both areas can be successful. There are, with scheduling windows and a well-structured international calendar. ” he said.

“Either way, players should be actively involved in decisions about game structure and regulations that affect their work. Players drive and are invested in the game’s success, and their decisions shape its future.”

The WCA and the ICC have recently negotiated the terms of the players’ team for the next four years of ICC events, which include the rights for advertising and photography. An agreement was reached in the run-up to the T20 World Cup after months of negotiations and the WCA believes the new integrated model will benefit players from smaller countries.