When the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared the 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy as the final one, the decision must have come as surprise to many cricket fans. While ICC reversed the thought in January 2014 after its plans to host a World Test Championship didn’t go anywhere, many were bemused by the world body's attitude towards an event that should have been second only to the ODI World Cup in importance.
In reality, the Champions Trophy is a far more competitive event than the showpiece World Cup as only the creme de la creme participate. With no passengers unlike the World Cup where teams could afford to loosen their guard a bit during the group stages, the Champions Trophy offers no comfort zone whatsoever, with almost every game bearing huge significance. With eight nations slotted into two groups where they play each other once followed by semifinals and the final, teams have to be on their money right from the start. This should have been a recipe for sure-shot success and while the fans have embraced it — although not in the same way as World Cup or even World T20 — what made ICC think of abandoning the event is not baffling actually.
Firstly, the ever increasing calendar has made it extremely difficult for the ICC to find a slot for the Champions Trophy. With World Cups occupying its regular spot once every four years and the World T20 now staged biennially, finding space for Champions Trophy is like trying to find a seat in an overcrowded bus in Bengaluru during peak hours.
Take India — the financial powerhouse of the sport — for example. Little over a decade ago, their schedule wasn't as cramped as it is now. Last year, they kick-started their season with the tour of the West Indies in June and climaxed it in a four-Test series against Australia at home in March, playing 13 Test matches at home on the way. And even before the players could heave a sigh of relief, the Indian Premier League took over.
India's schedule for the season ahead is also cramped with the team set to fly to the West Indies after the Champions Trophy for an ODI series followed by a full-fledged tour to Sri Lanka. They then host Australia for a limited overs series before departing to South Africa. The same applies to the other two big countries — Australia and England. They have to play the Ashes biennially and with their schedules also jam-packed, ICC finds itself on tough terrain.
Another major concern staring at the ICC is the advent of franchise-based T20 leagues across the globe. Thanks to the immense success of the IPL and then the Big Bash League in Australia, countries like England and South Africa have also chosen to follow suit. Pakistan, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have it already and with some of the top players in the world — barring Indians — plying their trade in almost all leagues, there is no doubt T20 is the toast of the town.
While the IPL is huge for BCCI, the same applies to the other boards organising their respective T20 leagues and with each vying for a space in the lucrative market, how much relevance they attach to the Champions Trophy remains to be seen in the fast-changing landscape of cricket.
Whether the purists — who have been pushing for a World Test Championship — like it or not, T20 is the financial heartbeat of the sport and the World T20 once every two years is here to stay. Ever since its inception in 2007, the World T20 has grown in leaps and bounds and with fans and players also loving it in equal measure, it is racing towards becoming the second biggest event for the ICC behind the ODI World Cup.
The dynamics of cricket, administratively, saw a tectonic shift in the recent months. Ever since India’s rise as the super power, very few teams have chosen to oppose the BCCI. However, during the ICC board meeting in Dubai last month, the BCCI was out-voted on the Big Three financial model. Totally peeved, BCCI even threatened to boycott the Champions Trophy before deciding to compete.
India is slated to host the 2021 Champions Trophy but there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding it. Given that India was left red-faced, it won't be surprising if they show a lack of interest in staging or promoting it. A cricketing event without India’s involvement or early exit means failure. It is the main reason why ICC changed the format of the World Cup following the 2007 disaster in the West Indies where India bowed out in the group stage.
It is never a nice feeling when the future of an event is unknown, especially a tournament as marquee as the Champions Trophy. It is supposed to be a prelude to the World Cup where potential stars get a taste of multi-team competition, but World T20 has taken over that mantle. Unless India and the other boards vouch for the Champions Trophy, it may end up dying a slow death.
While the teams in England would be going all-out for the spoils come June 1, the tournament itself will be fighting its own battle to stay relevant in these changing times.