Sana Mir joins WCA to tackle ‘unsustainable’ cricket programme

LONDON:

The World Cricket Association has launched a ground-breaking review of the sport’s “broken and unsustainable” programme.

The players’ association, formerly known as FICA, plans to propose a solution that allows international cricket leagues and domestic leagues to “co-exist on a clear, coherent calendar” for all.

Former England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison and former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir are part of a six-strong panel that will work with independent advisers on the review.

They will make recommendations to the WCA board after consultation with players, administrators, team owners and broadcasters.

“The current model is broken and unsustainable,” a WCA statement said on Monday.

“Confused and chaotic global scheduling with no clarity on the interaction between international cricket and domestic leagues means players are increasingly forced to choose between representing their country and optimizing their careers.”

“Change is much needed to create lasting clarity and value, for players, boards and fans.”
WCA chairman Heath Mills added: “We are fortunate that cricket does not have a choice and has three main formats in both international play and domestic leagues.

“To date, the game’s leadership has collectively failed to come together to create a clear and coherent global structure in which they can co-exist. We have effectively given up hope that they will.”
Research by the Professional Cricketers’ Association in May found that 81 per cent of players are concerned about the physical toll of the domestic fixture list with little time for proper rest and recovery.

A 2022 high-performance review by the ECB recommended reducing the amount of domestic cricket, but the proposals were rejected by English county teams.

Former England captain Joe Root recently said: “It is clear that the program needs to change if we are to see long-term benefits for English cricket.”