BCCI has done a tremendous job promoting women’s cricket through Women’s Premier League: Geoff Allardice

Even as cricket expands into new regions and formats, women’s cricket is expected to be one of the sport’s major growth prospects, according to Geoff Allardice, CEO of the International Cricket Council (ICC). He lauded BCCI for establishing the Women’s Premier League (WPL), stating that this tournament will elevate cricket worldwide.

He said that the ICC’s efforts to expand cricket’s popularity around the world include introducing it to regions that have not been major centres for cricket in the past.

In an exclusive interview with ET Insights, the ICC chief discusses the role technology is playing in improving the sport, the impact T20 leagues are having on the game, and his own personal journey from being an engineer to working for the ICC and eventually being its chief.

Edited excerpts from the interview

The term “globalisation of cricket” has become widely used. How do you define the globalisation of cricket?

Well, one of the things we are trying to do is take cricket to some countries and some territories that traditionally haven’t been the most high-profile names in the sport. And there are a number of different ways we are doing that. The most obvious way the ICC can do this is through the world cups and the events that it stages in each of the formats of the game, creating more opportunities. We have expanded the number of teams in our competitions. We have expanded the number of host countries for the next 8 years. And we have been doing things in certain markets to create opportunities for the new countries to progress. I think that will help us break out of the mould of all the Test playing countries that have been around for the past 30 to 40 years or more, and in some cases, much longer.

Cricket is growing, and another thing we are trying to do is use the T20 format to try and expand the game. It’s more accessible, it doesn’t take as long, and it’s attractive to new players. Regarding women’s cricket, with the Women’s Premier League, the BCCI has done a tremendous job by promoting women’s cricket and creating this competition and it is going to take the game to a new level around the world.

You made an interesting point on how Twenty20 cricket is capitalising on cricket’s growing popularity. So, what are your thoughts on T10? Do you believe it will become another popular version, or do you think that T20 will remain the preferred format?

Well, from an international standpoint, we are concentrating on the three formats of the game that now exist, namely Tests, Twenty20s, and One-Day Internationals. Even though fans are aware of the T10 cricket played in leagues throughout the world, the current forms on which the ICC is focusing also have a number of excellent leagues in many countries, the most notable being the T20-based IPL in India. Consequently, the second area to look out for is the time on the calendar. There is a delicate balance between international cricket and some of the bigger domestic events right now, so adding another format will be tough. In addition, T10 has a presence in select markets and serves as an additional promotional tool for the game.

One of the benefits of having three international formats, in my opinion, is that it allows every region in the globe to promote cricket in a way that appeals to its people, including Test cricket and Twenty20 cricket.

We have seen how technology has changed the landscape of cricket, especially communication with the audience through the stump mic, spider cam etc. So, what is the next major cricket innovation?

There are three things to look at when it comes to how the game is run. Over the years, DRS technology has become increasingly prominent in all competitions around the globe. We now have countdown clocks on the over rates. So, in terms of game operation, there has been a gradual evolution. In terms of how we show the game to fans, you mentioned spider cameras, which create wonderful pictures for people all around the world to have a closer look at the game. Then you have the stump mic to hear what is going on.

In the middle, there is some new technology, such as virtual reality, as well as stuff on our website that illustrate where the fielders are positioned and the vision the batsman has while facing up. There is, of course, the temporal jump to 4K and the current broadcast technology, but there is also the way we interact with our audience on various digital channels.

How has your journey been so far? Has it been enjoyable? Can you describe the challenges you faced?

Before working in cricket, I earned a living as an engineer. I began my career with Cricket Australia as manager of their umpires, moved through the operations department, and subsequently assumed a similar position with the ICC. And they have all been remarkable experiences. Certainly, the opportunity to work in a worldwide context with the ICC has been fascinating in terms of observing how cricket can be played differently, appreciated, watched, and presented differently depending on the country in which one resides. Fans enjoy the game in different ways. So, one thing we have tried to do is reflect that in the way we present the cricket we stage. And there are certain preferences, and we respect that. I believe that attempting to get all countries to do things in the same way, whether it is how they schedule their cricket or how they show their cricket, is not the best solution. I think we have to tailor to each market.

The interview with Geoff Allardice took place at the Global Business Summit 2023

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