Cricket’s Champions Trophy Under Threat from ICC

The 50-over biennial cricket tournament, The Champions Trophy may well be scrapped from the calendar as the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC) look towards creating a pinnacle event in each format of the game.

ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said the ICC wanted to create a “pinnacle” in all three formats with a Test world championship, the 50-over World Cup and World Twenty20.

Lorgat stated: “What we’re trying to work towards is a pinnacle event in each format. So if we’re looking to our next cycle we might think definitely about (losing) the Champions Trophy.”

He added it was difficult to see where the Champions Trophy, currently held by Australia, would fit into such a schedule and the possibility of removing the tournament
would also make sense because it will be difficult to accommodate the event in post 2012 FTP.

The ICC had last year approved a Test league to provide context for all Test matches. The league would determine the top four teams to qualify for an ICC Test play-off. The play-off should be held once every four years to determine the Test champion team with a request to hold the first such play-off in 2013.

The FTP will also consist of a One-Day International league, the first to run from April 2011 until April 2014, culminating in the crowning of an ODI league champion. This ODI league will run separate to the ICC Cricket World Cup.